Robert & Marilyn Heilman

HEILMAN BAUMANN GROEPPER WESTPHAL

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 9/21/2010 at 22:21:56

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Robert and Marilyn Heilman
By Marilyn Heilman

Robert F Heilman was born on a farm south of Holstein on March 6, 1938. He is the youngest of the seven children of Harry and Eva Baumann Heilman. His school years were spent at Cushing Consolidated School, from which he graduated in 1956. After graduation he worked at a farm implement business in Ida Grove until 1959 when he started farming. He served in the National Guard for six years.

Marilyn Groepper, dither of Lester and Hilda Westphal Groepper, was born on December 27, 1938, on a farm south of Cushing. She attended rural school for seven years and graduated from Correctionville High School in 1957. Marilyn was very active in Woodbury County 4H activities. She was a member of the Rock-Kee-Union Go-Getters and Rock Rosettes clubs and was a County Officer in 1956. She attended Wayne State Teacher’s College for two years and received her teaching certificate. In 1964 she received a B.A. degree from Buena Vista College and in 1975 a M.A.T. degree from Morningside College. Marilyn has taught in the elementary grades at Ida Grove, Cushing Consolidated, Battle Creek and Eastwood Community Schools. Since 1978 she has been teaching part-time in the Education and Student Services Departments at Morningside College in Sioux City.

Bob and Marilyn were married on June 14, 1959 at St John Lutheran Church in Cushing. Since then they have lived on their farm south of Cushing. The farm has been in Bob’s family for ninety-two years. His grandfather, Fred Baumann, purchased it in the fall of 1891.

Baumann died in July of 1897 during surgery for a brain tumor which was performed in the dining room of the farm home. Doctors from Correctionville and Carroll were in attendance. Baumann’s widow then rented the land out until 1920 when her eldest son, Ross Baumann, took over the operation of the farm. He continued to farm it until 1955 when Ross Heilman and his family came there to reside. In 1959 Bob and Marilyn moved to this farm, which they purchased in 1971.

Their farm is located one and one-half miles south of the east edge of Cushing on the Ida County side of the Woodbury-Ida County line. However, their mailbox is on the Woodbury County side of the road.

The barn burned to the ground on December 16, 1971. It was replaced with a Morton metal-lined pole building. Three other buildings of this type have also been added to the farmstead. Since the 1960’s these metal-lined pole buildings have changed the character of the countryside. The old barn just isn’t the same! There are no more haymows, horse stalls, or cow stanchions.

The family is very active in community affairs. They were involved in the planning of the Cushing Centennial in June of 1983. Marilyn served as secretary of the Centennial Commission and Bob was Co-chairperson of the Pageant Committee. Marilyn is serving her second term on the Eastwood Board of Education and is in her third year as president. She also teaches Sunday school at St John’s Lutheran Church which the family attends. Bob is a member of the low-rent Housing Board in Cushing. Both are active in the activities of the Democratic Party.

The Heilmans have one son, John Robert, who was born November 11, 1974, at Ida Grove. He attends Eastwood Community School.