Rudolph John

Rudolph John Heinen was born on October 4, 1886 in Loose Creek, Osage County, Missouri.  He was baptized at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Loose Creek.  His son Warren relates that when he was just a little tot, they were selling corn-cob pipes at his father Theodore's tavern.  "Rudy" was offered one, but he retorted that he didn't want that "piffy" he wanted the other "piffy."

In 1913 he moved to Halbur, Carroll County, Iowa, where he worked with his brother-in-law, Leo Wegman, as a teller at the German Savings Bank, now known as the Farmer's Savings Bank.  The German Savings Bank was the only bank in the area during the Great Depression that survived.  He became president of that bank when his brother-in-law, Leo Wegman, bought the bank in Carroll.  He served in that position until 1968.

In Halbur, he met Wilhelmina Eischeid, the daughter of John and Theresia (Schornagel) Eischeid.  They were married on October 5, 1915 at Saint Augustine Catholic Church in Halbur.  Rudy and Minnie had five children: Lester John (1916-1995), Evelyn Louise (1920), Warren Leo (1924), Margaret Mae (1927-2007), and Helen Irma (1930-2003).

A favorite pastime of Rudy's was barber-shopping.  He formed a chapter of the S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A. (Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber-Shop Quartet Singing in America) in Omaha, Nebraska.  He became a director and judge for quartet contests on the national level.

Besides banking, R.J. owned a share in the dry-goods-and-grocery store, sold insurance and encyclopedias, and served as the postmaster of Halbur.

Rudy passed away on October 24, 1968 at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska.  He was buried at the Saint Augustine Catholic Church cemetery in Halbur, Iowa on October 28.

Wilhelmina Loretta Eischeid, or "Minnie," as she was often called, was born on June 29, 1893 at her parents farm near Halbur, now the Al Eischeid farm.  She was baptized "Wilhelmina Theresia" at Saint Augustine Catholic Church on July 2.  During the Halbur Centennial in 1983, she was the oldest living Halbur citizen.  Later she moved to the Carroll Health Center in Carroll Iowa, after selling her home in Halbur.  She died there on May 15, 1998 at the age of 104 years, 11 months and was buried next to her husband on May 19.


 R. J. Heinen Dies; Headed Halbur Bank HALBUR - R..J. Heinen, 83, of Halbur, died Thursday morning at St. Joseph Hospital in Omaha. He was president of the Farmers Savings Bank at Halbur. Arrangements are pending at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll.  Mr. Heinen is survived by his wife, Minnie; two sons, Lester and Warren, both of Halbur; and three daughters, Mrs. Paul (Evelyn) .Richards, Arvada, Colo.; Mrs. Norman (Helen) Ansara, Carroll; and Mrs. E. J. (Margaret) Lammers, Aurora, Ill.

Newspaper: Carroll Daily Times Herald › 1968 › October › 24 October 1968 › Page 1