On this day in 1858, John Heid Sr. was born in Hoffenheim, Germany.
Like many homesteaders in the late 1800s, John and his wife Babetta came to America for a new life and a fresh beginning. After living for few years in Chicago, they came to North Dakota and settled in the New Salem area. Their first home consisted of a boxcar at the Blue Grass Railroad. By the time their first permanent home was built, a one room sod house, the family had grown to include 2 children.
However, they soon outgrew their tiny sod house. And the Heid family expanded to 13 children. It was extremely common in those days to have very large families, as more children meant more help with the everyday housework and farm chores.
In the Heid family, John farmed while Babetta sewed and knitted to keep them all clothed. John grew hundreds of cabbage plants from which gallons of sauerkraut was made – a Heid family favorite. They grew potatoes and onions as well, trading truckloads of extra cabbages, potatoes and onions for groceries at Wiegman’s Store. The Heid family garden flourished with peas, beans, carrots, beets and turnips. Growing enough food was a necessity to feed the large family all winter. Gardening was not just a hobby in the late 1880s, it was survival.
The Heid family kept busy on their farm north of New Salem. They dug coal by hand to heat their home – a step upwards from the dried buffalo chips and dried grass they had previously used. Hunting and fishing was a means of survival as well. With 13 children, there was always someone who needed their shoes repaired, someone who needed a haircut, and someone who needed to help Babetta with the canning and pickling.
Neighbors were always welcome at the Heid home. Every summer, the Heid’s hosted a picnic for the entire town, cooking up such German specialties as summer sausage, kuchen and German potato salad. The Heids were known for their association with the Hermansohne Lodge, and their membership of the Friedens Geminde church of New Salem.
John Heid passed away in 1915, and Babetta in 1927. From their 13 children, the Heid family produced over 300 descendants. That’s one heck of a family reunion!
Dakota Datebook written by Jill Whicomb
Source:
Morton Prairie Roots- Marion Plath Peterson. 1975
