CHRIS HECKMANN, SR.
One of the fine farmers and well-known citizens of Audubon township is Chris Heckmann, Sr., who was born on August 24, 1846, in Baden, Germany, and who is the son of Henry and Christina (Betz) Heckman, also natives of Baden, where they were farmers. They had thirteen children, six of whom lived to maturity.
Chris Heckmann, Sr., attended school from the time he was six years old until he was fourteen. He then worked on his father's farm until he was twenty years of age, when he was compelled to serve in the army for three years. On the expiration of his enlistment he returned home and lived for nine months, when he was called back to the army. He served nine months more during the war with France in 1870 and 1871. After the end of this war, he returned home and lived another year, when he was married. He farmed for himself in his native land until 1883, when he came to the United States.
Landing in New York city in March, 1883, Mr. Heckmann came direct to Audubon county and here purchased eighty acres of prairie land upon which he built a small house, sixteen by twenty-four feet, with four rooms. In the beginning he had one team of horses. He has improved the farm and now has a good house, barn, cribs and one hundred and sixty acres of fertile and highly productive soil.
In March, 1872, Mr. Heckmann was married to Christiana Reichert, the daughter of Philip and Christiana (Mazer) Reichert. To this union have been born twelve children, five of whom died in one week during January, 1891, of diphtheria. A terrible misfortune, the loss of these children was a painful and distressing event in the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Heckmann. The living children are Louisa, born May 31, 1873, who married John Wahe and his six daughters, Frieda, Lena, Emma, Eva, Florence and Ida; Chris, Jr., January 27, 1875, who married Anna Schwarting and has seven children, John, Emma, Katherine, Walter, Martha, Fred and Clarence; Lena, May 2, 1876, is the wife of Benhard Vose and has six children, Anna, Carl, Helen, Nettie, Irma and Louise; Frieda, August 12, 1878, who became the wife of Julius Jergens and has five children, Millie, Fred, Martha, John and Arthur; Susie, January 20, 1891; Samuel, August 24, 1892, and Carl, January 16, 1894. The three latter children live at home. The mother of these children died on October 3, 1897, and on April 8, 1901, Mr. Heckmann was married to Mrs. Catherine (Leppert) Heckmann, the widow of Mr. Heckmann's eldest brother, Matthias.
Chris Heckmann, Sr., is a Democrat in politics, although he always votes for whom he considers to be the best man, regardless of political or party affiliations. Mr. Heckmann has held no offices nor has he had any desire to hold office. The Heckmann family are members of St. John's Lutheran church, of which Mr. Heckmann was one of the charter members. On his farm in Audubon township, he is engaged in general farming and stock raising and has been very successful.
Fired with ambition upon coming to America in 1883, Chris Heckmann has prospered year by year during his thirty-two years residence in his adopted country. Today he is an American at heart, devoted to the Democratic institutions of this country. Having worked industriously during his productive years, he has a substantial competence ahead for his declining years. There is no man living in Audubon township who does not respect and admire Chris Heckmann for his many good qualities.
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Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass, September, 2019 from History of Audubon County, Iowa Its People, Industries and Institutions With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families, by H. F. Andrews, editor, Indianapolis: B. F. Bowen & Company, 1915, pp. 758-759.
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