Martin Heiner was born March 17, 1818 in Waldorf, Germany. Martin attended school from age four to fourteen. He learned to play the zither and was a great singer. He and his friends would go out into the street and sing and play for the neighbors. He and his wife often sang together.
They especially loved to sing hymns together after they joined the Mormon Church. As was the custom Martin started school when he was four years old. There he learned to read and write very fluently. When Martin was fourteen, he went to live with his uncle who taught him to be a weaver. When Martin completed his training, he went to Wasungen where he was employed by Michael Ditzel. There he was attracted to Michael's lovely auburn haired daughter, Adelgunda.
They were married on January 6, 1838. Four children were born into the Heiner family: Mary, born July 28, 1839; Amelia, born February 20, 1842; John, born July 2, 1843, and Anthony born July 24, 1844. After their fourth child had been born Martin became very interested immigrating to the United States. He had heard a great deal of talk about how great America was. Martin and his neighbor decided to move their families to America. After their father and Mother died, Martin and his brother Hinrich had been unable to resolve their differences over the family property. After hearing Martin's plans to migrate, his brother offered to pay for his family's passage and in return Martin drop the lawsuit he had filed regarding the family property. Fifteen days later on May 18, 1845, Martin, Adelgunda, and their children boarded a ship bound for Baltimore.
Adelgunda Ditzel was born June 11, 1815 in Wasungen, Germany. Adelgunda attended the
school and was very well educated. She memorized the New Testament and could quote any part of it as long as she lived. When Adelgunda was fifteen, a fortuneteller came to town.
Adelgunda's friends wanted her to go with them to have their fortunes read. She was unable to go with them but the other girls went to see the fortuneteller. While there, they ask if he could tell the fortune of someone not there. He said that if they would tell him her birthday he would do it. After making some calculations he look up at the girls and asked who was this girl and where does she live? When they told him, he said that she was an elect lady. She would cross great waters and join herself to another people. The girls almost forgot their own fortunes in their excitement to tell Adelgunda.
The Heiner family arrived in Baltimore on June 24, 1845. It took them sixty days to complete
the ocean crossing. They lived in Baltimore for nineteen months. While in Baltimore, their fifth child George was born on March 26, 1846. Martin was working in the iron mines when he was offered a job as a weaver. He moved his family to Franklin County, Pennsylvania where he worked as a weaver for a Mr. Baer. On April 14, 1848 Elizabeth, their sixth child was born near Wainsboro, Pennsylvania and on November 27, 1850 Daniel, seventh child was born in the same house. Susanna Catherine was born October 15, 1852.
In November of 1852, Jacob Secrist stopped to see his family, as he was on his way to serve a LDS mission to Germany. Jacob's sister was Martin's closest neighbor and she introduced Jacob to the Heiner family and also told Adelgunda about the strange doctrine that Jacob was teaching.
Martin became good friends with Jacob and gave him a letter of recommendation addressed to his brother in Germany. Martin and Adelgunda were also converted to the Gospel. Martin was converted after the first time he heard Jacob preach. Adelgunda was converted after hearing and understanding Jacob's sermon in the English language even though she knew very little English. On December 13, 1852, Martin went to visit Jacob because he was leaving that day for Germany. He asked Jacob to baptize him and his family before he left. That day Martin, Adelgunda, and their two oldest children were baptized and confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They had to cut holes in the ice so they could be baptized.
Martin and Adelgunda would sit up and read the Bible and other church books almost every night. They would also talk about the gospel and going to Utah. They soon began saving up their money for the trip west.
The next time Martin went to work, the owner of the factory asked Martin if he had joined the Mormons. Martin said that yes he had and he was immediately discharged. Martin was worried about this but a few days later a farmer hired him for higher wages than he had been making at the factory.
In April of 1855 Jacob Secrist visited the Heiner family as he had returned from his mission to Germany. He baptized and confirmed three of Martin's sons. Jacob died of cholera on his way home to Utah. The Heiner family was blessed with two more daughters, Emma Ann born August 17, 1856 and Rachel born September 16, 1858. In the winter of 1858 Carl G. Maeser was in Pennsylvania as a LDS missionary. He said that there was going to be a civil war and advised the members to move to Salt Lake City. The Heiner family started for Utah on April 11, 1859. They went first to Pittsburgh, then across the Allegheny Mountains. Then they boarded a steamboat and went down the Ohio River to Cincinnati. Martin visited his sister there and then went down river to St. Louis. They then changed boats and went up the Missouri River to Florence, Nebraska. They stayed there for several weeks preparing to cross the plains. Martin bought a Shuttler wagon, a yoke of oxen and a yoke of cows. They left for Salt Lake on June 20, 1859 and arrived ninety days later on September 15. They spent the next four years living near Bingham Canyon on a farm owned by John Taylor where Martin herded cattle. In the spring of 1862 the Heiners moved about five miles west of Salt Lake City, out in the greasewood and alkali.
The next four years were extremely hard years. Not only did their five-year-old daughter die, but they also experienced hunger, cold, frostbite, and crop failures. Daniel H. Wells proved to be a good friend. He would send a wagon with food about every five weeks. They welcomed it to their door as an angel from heaven.
In December of 1863 the Heiner family move to Morgan, Utah. Martin had bought 40 acres in North Morgan. They also had a large heard of sheep but no hay. The wind had blown the snow off the to mountain so Daniel and Anthony took the sheep up to graze. They used the cover off the wagon for a tent and the two sons lived off "water toast" for three months. "Water toast" was bread toasted over the fire and then put in water sweetened with molasses. Martin planted the first fruit trees and poplar trees in Morgan. Even though their two youngest daughters, Emma Ann and Eliza, died in December of 1865, the family prospered in Morgan. Martin and Adelgunda lived in Morgan until their deaths. Adelgunda died on November 24, 1894 and Martin died March 11, 1897. A complete history of the Martin Heiner family is available from the National Society of Daughters of the Utah Pioneer.
A Patriarchal Blessing upon the head of Martin by Arza E. Hinckley, Patriarch, on October 8th, 1889:
Brother Martin:
In the name of Jesus of Nazareth and by the authority of the Holy Priesthood, I lay my hands upon your head and confer and seal upon you a father’s blessing (Patriarchal) for your comfort and consolation, which shall be as the Holy Spirit whispereth. Thou art of the house of Joseph and a mixed seed of Ephraim and Manasseh. Through thy obedience in obeying the gospel and following the council of the Priesthood, the blood of Ephraim has prevailed. Thou didst covenant in the heavens before the world was, to come forth in this dispensation and assist in the work, in which thou art engaged. The Lord is well pleased with thee, as he has proved thine integrity. Thy Guardian Angel will continue to watch over you, to preserve thy life to the full completion of thy labors, which shalt be a gaining of a celestial crown. The Holy Spirit shall be thy companion and director in all thy labors. Thy name shall increase in honor in Zion and thy council shall be sought for by both old and young. Thy health and life shall increase and thou shalt live to see the redemption of Zion and receive thine inheritance. Thy sons and daughters shall be numbered among the prophets and prophetesses and they, with their descendants, shall be mighty in the defense and building up of Zion, whose name, with thine, shall be honorable throughout all generations. The work which thou has commenced in the temple, they shall continue unto the redemption of all thine ancestors back to the day they held the priesthood, every gift and blessing in faith shall be thine, necessary to the completion of thy work Thou shalt live and preside over thy father’s house throughout the millennium and receive an inheritance upon this earth when it becomes celestialized. Continue faithful to the end of thy days and not one word shall fail. These are a portion of the blessings the Lord has in store for you. I seal upon you these with all former blessings with Eternal Life to come forth in the morning of the first resurrection. Even So. Amen.
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