Individual Details
Gesine Hinrika Heyen
(1 Sep 1863 - 16 Sep 1954)
Grandmother spoke broken Low German and reverted to Low German entirely in her later years. She would get so frustrated with me for I had completely blanked out the language after I started school. She also became hard of hearing in later years so we had difficulty communicating with each other.
My parents and I lived in four rooms of this large house of grandmothers from March 1930 until March of 1933. I can vaguely remember some of my escapades there as a small child. Grandmother always insisted that I wear a straw hat and I hated wearing anything on my head ( I still don't like to). I stuffed the hat into a magazine rack and it was missing for days. I don't remember why but I kicked one of my shoes into the wallpaper paste while they were hanging wallpaper. My Dad was a big tease and I think at his suggestion I called Aunt Mary an old maid. She didn't like that too well and came after me with a hairbrush. Also remember all of the visits from Aunt Mary's gentleman friend, Herman Lange. Herman brought me small sacks of candy and called me Chicko. I don't remember this but I was told that my parents called me Chickee."
Events
Families
Spouse | John Christoph Balster (1869 - 1914) |
Child | Arend Balster (1894 - 1976) |
Child | Mary Katherine Balster (1895 - 1964) |
Child | Anna Margaret Balster (1897 - 1936) |
Child | Robert Heike Balster (1900 - 1983) |
Child | Louise Gesina Balster (1902 - 1940) |
Child | Ludwig (Louis) Christopher Balster (1904 - 1920) |
Child | Johanna Helen Balster (1907 - 1937) |
Father | Heyke / Heike Heyen (1823 - ) |
Mother | Wübke Maria "Mary" Wiemers (1830 - ) |
Sibling | Gesche Catharina Heyen (1854 - ) |
Sibling | Johanna Margaretha Heyen (1856 - ) |
Sibling | Johann Heinrich Heyen (1857 - ) |
Sibling | Sophia Helena "Helen" Heyen (1859 - 1926) |
Sibling | Anna Maria Heyen (1861 - ) |
Sibling | Johann "John" Heyen (1865 - 1953) |
Sibling | "son (Sohn)" Heyen (1867 - 1867) |
Notes
Immigration
Her husband's biography says she came over with her brother.Marriage
Heyen Gesine Henrike Balster John Christopher 08 Jan 1893 Jones Co 3248 120 Scotch GroveHeyen Gesine Henrike
parents: Heyne Heike Wemers W Maria
Balster John Christopher
parents: Balsder Arend and Jacobs G Marie
Census
12 BALSTER GESSINE 61 GER H HEYENS, HEIKEN GER VIENNERS, MARY GER GER13 BALSTER MARY 29 IA D
13 BALSTER MARY 29 IA D BALSTER, J C IA HEYENS, GESSINE 61 GER IA
14 BALSTER LOUISE 22 IA D BALSTER, J C IA HEYENS, GESSINE 61 GER IA
15 BALSTER JOHANA 17 IA D BALSTER, J C IA HEYENS, GESSINE 61 GER IA
Census
129, 129, Heiken, Earnest H, Head, rent farm, has radio, MW, 24, Married at age 22, IA IA IA, Farmer, general farm, Johanna H, Wife, FW, 22, Married at age 20, IA IA Germany
, Ramona G, Daughter, FW, 1 5/12, single, IA IA IA
Balster, Gesina H, Mother-in-law, FW, 66, Wd, Married at age 29, Germany 3x, 1889 Na,
Balster, Mary K, sister-in-law, FW, 34, single, IA IA Germany
Death
Gesina Henrika HeyenMrs. John C. Balster
Death Thursday Follows Extended Illness
Gesina Henricka Balster, 91, passed away at the John McDonald hospital Thursday afternoon, after having been a patient there for the past three months. Funeral services will be held this afternoon (Monday) September 20, at 2:30 p.m. from St. John's Lutheran church, with the pastor Rev. August K. Stenzel officiating. Burial will be made in the St. John's cemetery. Casket bearers were Leslie M. Balster, Benhard Brokens, C. E. Heyen, Abbott Mayer, James Stadtmueller, and Lyle Tobiason.
Born Gesina Henrika Heyen in Reepsholt, Germany, Sept. 1, 1863, she was the daughter of Heike Heyen and Maria Wiemers Heyen. On Feb. 4, 1888, she entered the United States and was married to John C. Balster on Jan. 3, 1893 in St. John's Lutheran church by Rev. F. Von Stobe, and they made their home in the Scotch Gove vicinity. She was the last survivor of eight children. Her husband preceded her in death Apr. 23, 1914.
Survivors include two sons, Arend Balster, Jr. of Scotch Grove and Robert H. Balster of Ixonia, Wis., and a daughter, Mary K. Balster of Scotch Grove. Also surviving are eight grandchildren and ten great grandchildren. She was proceeded in death by her husband, three daughters and one son.
She was a lifelong member of St. John's Lutheran church.
The Goettsch funeral home had charge of arrangements.
Submitted by: Sharon Oltmanns
Endnotes
1. Janssen, Ludwig, Erhard Schlte and Hans Rudolph Manger, compiler, Die Familien der Kirchengemeinde Reepsholt (Aurich: Ostfriesische Landschaft, 1982), p 507 #2773.
2. Corbitt, R. M., History of Jones County, Iowa, Past and Present, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, 1910.
(IA GenWeb Project.
3. Jones Co. Iowa marriage books, online.
BOOK D 1877-1884 :: BOOK E 1884-1891 :: BOOK F 1891-1898 (USGenWeb
4. Jones Co. Iowa Census, Jones Co. Iowa GenWeb online [http://iowajones.org/census/census.htm], accessed.
5. U.S. Census images. Heritage Quest Online. Subscription database through the Sonoma County Public Library. (ProQuest LLC, 2009.), 1930 > IOWA > JONES > SCOTCH GROVE TWP Series: T626 Roll: 662 Page: 237.
6. Ramona (Heiken) Mayer, compiler, Heiken and related families (Iowa:, bet 1985 and 1992), Information from Edzards history and from Aunt Mary.