Biography of Johann Martin Heiner & Adelgunda Dietzel

Johann Martin Heiner, who was known in Utah as Martin Heiner, was the second son of Johannas Balthasar Heiner and Anna Susanna Elisabeth Hondorf. Martin was born on March 17, 1818 in Walldorf, Sax Meiningen, Thuringia, Germany. He was christened on March 23, 1818 in the Lutheran Church at Walldorf. His godfather, Johan Martin Hundorf, was his uncle, his mother’s brother.

As was custom, Martin started school when he was four years old. There he learned to read and write very fluently. At the age of fourteen, he went to work with his uncle in order to learn the weaver’s trade. The trades in Germany require a boy apprenticed to a man who is in the trade after which you become a journeyman. Once a journeyman, you would go from one village to another getting experience until you were able to establish a business of your own. When Johann had completed his training, he went to Wasungen where he was employed by Michael Dietzel, a weaver. There he was attracted to Herr Dietzel’s lovely auburn haired daughter, Adelgunda.

Adelgunda Dietzel was born on June 11, 1815, in Wasungen, Sax Meiningen, Thuringia, Germany, daughter of Johann Michael Dietzel and Sophia Christina Kniesa. Adelgunda attended the schools provided at that time and was very well educated. She learned the New Testament by memory and could quote any part of it as long as she lived. She also had many of the household chores. When a very small girl, she had to stand on a box to reach the vat in which bread dough was prepared. Bread was mixed in big vats and baked in ovens built of brick or rocks, making a great quantity at a time.

When Adelgunda was about 15 years old, she and two girl friends agreed to go to a fortune teller who had come to town and have their fortunes told. When the friends called for Adelgunda, she was unable to go because her father was putting a piece of cloth on the loom and needed her help. The girls were disappointed but they went on without her. After they had their fortunes told they asked the fortune teller if he could tell a person’s fortune without that person present. The fortune teller said he could and asked for the date of birth for the person. He then did some figuring as that is how he told the fortunes. He seemed very surprised and said, “Who is this lady? Where does she live?” After the girls told him it was Adelgunda Dietzel from Wasungen he said, “She is an elect lady. She is different from you girls. She will not stay in Germany very long. She will cross the great waters and join herself to another people. Yes, a strange people.” The girls were very excited and hurried back to tell Adelgunda what the fortune teller had said, forgetting their own fortunes.

When Martin came to work for Herr Dietzel, Adelgunda was also attracted to him. She like his honesty and steadfastness. One time when Martin and a friend came to call on Adelgunda and her girl friend, some boys started a fight with them. The boys of the town resented boys from other towns coming to court their ladies. Martin and his friend were locked up in jail for the night. As a result, Martin was fired from his job. However, he was soon hired back again as he was a skilled workman and was needed on the job.

Herr Dietzel was not pleased with his daughter’s relationship with Martin. He felt that Martin was just a poor boy and could not provide her with the kind of life she was accustomed to and could only offer her hard work and poverty. However, the young people were determined and married on January 6, 1839 in the Lutheran Church. Adelgunda’s mother had died four years previously, so they made their home with her father.

Their first child a daughter soon arrived on July 28, 1839; they named her Mary Christina. Another daughter, Amelia soon followed on February 20, 1841. John Heiner was born the third child, and first son, on July 2, 1842 in Wasungen, followed by Anthony on June 24, 1844. Anthony was the last child born in Germany.

Marin and his brother, Heinrich began having trouble over their father’s property. It had been in the family for several generations, even dating back to their 2nd great grandfather, Johann Adam Heiner, who was born in that same house on August 13, 1657. Martin’s father had died on February 14, 1837 followed by his mother on December 7, 1839. Heinrich managed to get his father’s property and Martin wanted to sue his brother for part of the property.

There was a great deal of talk about America at that time, saying it was a good land to live in. After Martin and Adelgunda had talked it over, they decided to drop the lawsuit and emigrate to America where they might enjoy more opportunity. They decided to go to America with a neighbor of theirs. When Heinrich heard of their decision to go to America, he was elated and proved very helpful in assisting them with the money for their passage and the transportation. Martin’s sister was already in America when they decided to leave.

Heinrich met martin on the street on day and said, “I hear you are thinking of going to America.” “Yes,” said Martin, “if I can raise money enough, I will go.” Heinrich said that he would buy the tickets and said, “There is a ship lying at the wharf now that is going to America. I will go down and see the captian.” When he came back he said, “That ship will sail for America in fifteen days. I have got your tickets, which will include four children. When you are ready, I will hitch the oxen and take you down.”

On May 18, 1845, they were ready to start for America. They bid farewell to Herr Dietzel and other loved ones and all their friends. Heinrich took them down to the ship and gave them their tickets as agreed. It seemed that Heinrich wanted to get rid of them and the trouble about the property, thinking it would be cheaper to pay their passage to America than fighting a lawsuit. It looks like the Lord had a hand in this situation and provided an opportunity for Martin and his family to come to America where they would become members of the restored Gospel.

It took them 40 days to cross the ocean finally landing in Baltimore, Maryland on June 24, 1845. They arrived in an almost penniless condition so Martin went immediately in search of employment, which was scarce at the time. Neither Martin nor Adelgunda could speak a word English when they came to America. This was a great trial to Adelgunda along with the other hardships and she would get very discouraged. Martin had a bible written in both German and English and by comparing the two scriptures, he was able to learn the English language fairly well.

The Heiners struggled for several years but later landed work with a German family Waynesboro, Franklin, Pennsylvania as a weaver. They lived in Waynesboro for 12 years. To supplement their income, Adelgunda would go into the hills and gather huckleberries, blackberries, dewberries, and would take them to town and sell them for 6 cents a quart. In the fall they would gather chestnuts, two kinds of hickory nuts, chinquapin nuts and hazelnuts to sell.

Martin was very honest in al his dealings with his fellow men and always kept his promises. At one time he was short money to pay for some purchases he made, so he promised he would bring the money the following evening. However, the next evening, it was raining very hard and Adelgunda tried to discourage him from going out. Martin was determined since he had made the promise to pay the money, so he walked several miles in the rain in order to keep his work.

In November of 1852, a neighbor lady came to visit with Adelgunda. She told Adelguna that her bother, Jacob Secrist, had joined a new religion called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and was going to Germany on a mission. He had stopped in Waynesboro on his way from Farmington, Utah and was going to hold a meeting that night in the nearby town of Thomastown. When Martin came home from work that evening she had supper all ready for him. She told him of the meeting. He, too, was interested and decided to attend, so he walked the three miles to Thomastown to attend the meeting. At the meeting Martin noted the quotations that Elder Secrist had made from the Bible and later he and Adelgunda looked them up and found them to be correct. Martin felt that this was the true church. Martin, Adelgunda, and their children were baptized. They then traveled across the plains to Utah where they became respected and affluential members of the Morgan, Utah community.