MEMORIES OF MRS. PETER BIETSCH (Beach)
Mr. and Mrs. Adam Bietsch came to Heinsburg in 1911 with two married sons and two married daughters; Mike Bietsch and family, Adam Bietsch Jr. and family, Adam Grieser and family, Louis Grau and family. Mr. and Mrs. Heins and family operated a grocery store on Sec. 9-564-4, in 1911, which also included the post office called Heinsburg. Otto Winkler and family, and Albert Winkler and family came in 1911. In 1914 Albert Winkler got the job of running the ferry. One day he went home to do some work on the land and and left his wife in charge of the ferry; while crossing the river the ferry broke loose with her on it. It floated down river past Lea Park; the ferry operator there heard her hollering for help and went after her in a boat. He went three miles before he caught up to the runaway ferry and got her off. The ferry went on.
Mrs. and Mr. Jacob Scheidel and Mr. and Mrs. Liesatz and family arrived in 1911. These first families built the first Lutheran Church on N.W. 10-56-4-4 in 1913, also a parsonage. Mr. Heins wrote to the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in the U.S.A. for a pastor, and they sent Rev. H. Brege. The church was dedicated on the 15th of June, 1913, by Pastors P.F. Schleef, H. Brege and R. Deye. Senator Pete Lessard and Harry Bowtell bought the organ for the church.
In 1912 as Mrs. A. Bietsch Sr. was watching the men dig a well the cribbing hit her. She died and was buried in the Heinsburg cemetery on N.W. 10-56-4-4. In 1915 Mrs. M. Bietsch died and was also buried in the Heinsburg Cemetery. Mr. Peter J. Bietsch (Beach), now living in the Edmonton, was the first baby born in Heinsburg, June 10th, 1914. Mrs. Peter Bietsch (Beach) Sr. is the only one still living of all those old timers: she is 81 years old.
Note: Mrs. Peter Bietsch passed away in May 1976.
