Heiner & Dietzel - Monk Family Organization

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 he 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 being present. The fortune teller said he could and
asked for the date of birth of 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 liked 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
(who married Sarah Jane Coulam) 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.
Martin 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 2 nd 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
law suit 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