HANS WILLER FAMILY

The family of Hans and Cecelia Willer has been well known in the Akron vicinity since they came here in 1901.

Cecelia Heitman Willer, born in Benton county, Iowas, was the daughter of John H. Heitman, Sr. and Lena Rosburg Heitman, both born in Ockland, Germany.

Hans Willer was born in the area of Schleswig, Holstein, Germany, second oldest child of Jurgen Nicholas and Gertrude Gulstorf Willer. All of this family came to America, some at different times, and located in Lu Verne, Benton county, Iowa.

Others of Mr. Willer’s family, who became residents of this Akron, Iowa, community, were Henry Sr., Julius, Charles, Nicholas (all deceased at the time of this writing 1982) and Anna C. Hecht, as well as the father who lived here in his last years.

Hans Jurgen Willer was brought to America by his grandfather, Peter Von Gulstorf, when he was nine or 10 years old. He began working for relatives on their farms.

When he married, the couple farmed on their own near Keystone, Iowa, and their four oldest children were born there. In 1901, they moved to Plymouth County and rented a farm east of Akron. The family and their possessions came by railway to Akron.

By 1904, Hans Willer had bought, and moved to the farm which he named the Keystone Stock Farm. He raised and fed pure bred Hereford cattle. Many loads of fat cattle were shipped to Chicago from this farm.

As the family increased and grew up, more farms were added to the land holdings. There were three daughters and six sons who married and made homes in the territory.

Henry P. married Ruth Huff, who had five children.
Lena, married Paul Papritz and had one daughter.
John married Katherine Papritz, who had five children.
Anna married Arthur Hasenbank and they one son.
Ed H. married Alice Gabel.
George married Ella Klemme, who had four children.
Julius married Marie Granquist.
Theodore “Ted” married Wilma Klemme. They had three children.
Louise married Marvin Martin.

Source:  OUR LIFE, 1882-1982 Akron, Iowa (Centennial Book) pg 480