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Lydia (Wetzel) Heimbach |
Lydia (Wetzel) Heimbach was born on March 1, 1807 in Longswamp Township, Berks County, PA, the daughter of Johan "Peter" and Anna Margaretha (Gaumer) Wetzel.
On Nov. 30, 1828, when she was 21 years of age, Lydia wedded a cousin, 21-year-old Henry Heimbach (Dec. 17, 1806-1888), son of Henry and Philippina (Wetzel) Heimbach of Hereford Township, Berks County.
The Heimbachs did not reproduce during their nearly six decades of marriage.
When the federal census enumerations were made in 1850 and 1860, the couple dwelled in Longswamp. Henry earned a living as a laborer, and census evidence suggests that they were poor.
U.S. Census records for 1870 show Henry, a retired shoemaker, and "Elizabeth" still in Longswamp, with eight-year-old Ida Coup in the household.
Sadly, Henry died on Sept. 17, 1888, at the age of 81, of the effects of old age and dropsy -- a buildup of fluids in the body's soft tissues. Officiating at the funeral services was Rev. Eli Keller, pastor of Huff's Church in Zionsville. A record of the funeral was noted in Rev. Keller's pastoral records of funerals, and he wrote: "survivors, wife & sister, collected money for them."
Lydia outlived hr husband by two years. Also suffering from dropsy, she passed away on Jan. 30, 1890.
No markers are known to stand at their graves, wherever they may be.
Copyright © 2018 Mark A. Miner