Elmer Heinle

Funeral Services for Elmer Heinle, 79, of Mandan, formerly of Hebron will be 10:00 a. m. Saturday, March 21, 2015 at First Congregational Church, Hebron with Pastor Marcy Dawson officiating. Burial will follow in the Methodist Cemetery. Visitation for Elmer will be one hour prior to the service. Elmer passed away on Saturday, March 14, 2015 in Bismarck, ND. Elmer was born in Glen Ullin, ND, on June 6, 1935, the son of Louise Sayler and William Phillip Heinle. He grew up on a farm south of Glen Ullin, ND. As a young man, Elmer partnered with his brother Oscar to run the family farm. During that time, he moved old school houses onto that farm. Elmer went into the Army for a short time. Elmer met Rosemary Abbey on a blind date, and they married in 1968. They lived in Hebron, ND, until the late 1980’s and then moved to land south of Mandan, ND. Together, they traveled to farm auctions frequently throughout the years and took vacations to California and Arizona to visit family. Many friends and coworkers called Elmer Red due to his hair. Although his red hair lightened a bit over the years, he did not have any gray hair until he was well into his seventies. Elmer farmed the family farm until he began working for Northern Construction. Elmer worked for Northern Construction for more than 20 years. He built roads all over the Midwest and wrote his name in some of the on-ramps along I-94. Later in life he traveled the same roads to his beloved casinos for fun. He also built homes in Hebron and Mandan. Elmer loved to buy old farm equipment and rebuild it. At one time he owned more than 100 wagon wheels. There are also thousands of bird houses throughout the state that we built by Elmer. He enjoyed fishing with his nephew David, and in later years he enjoyed beating his niece Chandra in very competitive games of Connect Four. Elmer was the youngest of five children. He had one older brother, Oscar Heinle, and three older sisters, Maggie Kuykendall, Bernice Hirning, and Isabell Dick. All of Elmer’s siblings preceded him in death. Elmer’s sister Maggie moved to California and married Tom Kuykendall, and they raised one daughter. Bernice married Herbert Hirning and raised two children, Tammy and Chandra, near Mott ND. Isabell married Robert Dick, and they had five children: Peggy, Debbie, Pam, David and Fred. Oscar married Helen and resided in Glen Ullin. Elmer was part of the first generation of his family to be born in America. Elmer’s mother Louise Sayler was born in 1904. She came to America by ship when she was a small child in 1905. Elmer’s maternal grandparents were Gottleib Sayler (dob 9/11/1870) and Sophie Boehler, (dob 7/17/1879). They were married in 1897. His family had moved from Johannestal, Russia, to farm South of Glen Ullin. Elmer’s maternal great-grandparents were George Boehler, and Elizabeth Kost of Johannestal, Russia. Elmer’s father, William Phillip Heinle, was born in Glen Ullin, ND, in 1898. He farmed the family farm until 1953 when his sons Elmer and Oscar took over. Elmer’s paternal grandparents were Philip Heinle, Jr. , and Julia Walter. They were married in 1883 and moved to America – specifically Scotland, SD, in 1884. They moved to Hebron ND in 1885. They were also farmers. Elmer’s paternal great -grandfather was Philip Heinle, Sr. , who, according to family lore, escaped the Russian draft by escaping in a wooden barrel across a river on his way to America. The family had moved from Germany to Russia in 1775 in response to Catherine the Great’s efforts to promote European culture in Russia. Who knew we come from a long line of trend setters?Elmer was great man who loved to work, fish, and spend time with others. Elmer taught us to rely on ourselves first, to expect hard work from ourselves, and to work to be the best that each of us could be. He taught us the value of money, and that happiness does not come from being rich. He taught us to help family and go the extra mile to help someone who is in need. He taught us, along with his brother and sisters, the values of farm life and never to fear a challenge. He bravely faced serious health issues over the years, including a case of West Nile. Through his sheer determination, he worked to regain his mobility and physical strength which would match his feisty personality and sense of independence. Elmer is survived by his wife Rosemary of Mandan, ND; eight nieces and nephews and many great-nieces and great-nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and all of his siblings.


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Burial Date: March 21, 2015
Church First Congregational UCC Hebron

Funeral Service: Saturday: First Congregational Church, Hebron, ND