Mrs. Katherine Heishman

HEISHMAN, MILLER, SOWERWINE, SHADEL

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 12/4/2011 at 18:42:15

The Grinnell (IA) Herald; 1927

MRS. KATHERINE HEISHMAN STILL WEAVING CARPETS AND RUGS AS IN OLD DAYS.
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HAS LOOM TWO HUNDRED YEARS OLD.
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Came to This County Fifty One Years Ago--Now lives in Sheridan.
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To walk into a building on a Sheridan township farm and find one of the pioneer mothers of Poweshiek County actively engaged in weaving rugs on a carpet loom that is perhaps two hundred years old was a most pleasant surprise to a Herald representative a few days ago. Mrs. Katherine Heishman, so we learned, has woven rugs and carpets for almost as long as she can remember. And during the course of the conversation which followed she told of the work of spinning wool at an old fashioned wheel as a girl of twelve. In spite of tender years there was a task of so many "knots" which had to be competed daily.

In years past Mrs. Heishman has done a considerable amount of weaving of rugs and carpets for hire but now engages in the work more as a pastime. To the writer, who had never seen a loom in operation before, it seemed that Mrs. Heishman's fingers were as deft as a younger person's could have been in handling the shuttle and other parts of the machine.

It has been fifty one years since Mrs. Heishman came to Iowa from Rockingham Co., Virginia as the bride of John Miller. The loom she is now using was purchased more than 40 years ago. After these many years of continuous use it looks much the same as when she first purchased it. New steel reeds were purchased for the second time this spring and a new roller was made many years ago by John Sowerwine when he conducted a blacksmithing and woodworking shop on Broadway in Brooklyn.

The first five years in Iowa were spent on the farm where Godfrey Viets now lives between Brooklyn and Hartwick. The next 12 years were spent on the farm now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Gus Heishman a short distance south. Four daughters and a son were born to Mr. and Mrs. Miller: Mary C., now Mrs. Andrew Shandel; Betty S., now Mrs. Gus Heishman; Ida M., Mrs. Will Heishman, and Sallie, Mrs. Ernest Heishman. The son, Benjamin Franklin died at six years of age.

Mr. Miller died in 1887 and on December 8, 1892, Mrs. Miller was married to Philip Heishman, then a widower with six sons and one daughter. Three of these sons later chose three of the Miller daughters as their wives. The Heishman children were, Andrew and E. Clint, now deceased, and Alice, Will, John, Gus and Ernest. Then there are three sons of the last marriage, namely, Clifford, Lester and Elza.

Since 1893 the Heishman home has been on the same farm in Sheridan township. Mr. Philip Heishman passed away in 1916 and the mother has continued to live with Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Heishman, who operate the place.

Mrs. Heishman's life has been an active one and she could entertain by the hour with tales of the earlier days in Iowa and of the growth and development of this county from the raw prairie to an area of modern farms and homes. In any list of prominent pioneer mothers of the county certainly she should hold a place near the top.