Dean-Hey Heritage

History of Adult Children of Jacob's First Family

Seated left to right: Ira, Grandpa, Ezra.
Standing left to right: Ruth, Christina, Earl, Sue.
Grandpa posed to the west of his house in Sterling with Ruth and his five children from his first marriage (June 20, 1922).


(from the diary of Ruth Holtzman Hey, 1938)
May 17—"Went out to see Sue this AM. Will cook dinner here for Christine tomorrow & take it out. Odor of food makes Sue sick.
May 18—Christine called Abe & I out about 8:30. Sue wanted me to sing for her. Stayed until 11:15 when Dr. Runnels left. Sue very weak.


(recollections of Janna Hey Dean)
Of my mother's half brothers/sisters, I knew only Christine. When I met Aunt Sue, she was dying of cancer at Christine's farm home and the funeral was in the parlor.

Sue, Christine

JL and daughter Susan
"Ruth took this of JL and Susan last Summer, 1919
when Susan was here from Detroit."
(back of photo)

Sue and Dad
Caption: "Sue and Dad talking politics. 1919"

Sue & Dad

Lucile, Sue & Bill Callahan, Jack

Lucile, Alice, Christina, Earl
"Blowing balloons. Summer, 1919"

Aunt Christine & Uncle Rufus' House
Overlooking Mississippi River at Albany, Illinois

Christine married Rufus Weber and had two children, Lucile and Earl. Lucile had no children; Earl had a boy named Tom. I remember going down to their house in Albany which stood on a hill overlooking the Mississippi River. Aunt Christine always baked cookies for us. To supplement their income (retired farmers with no social security), Uncle Rufus cracked hickory nuts and black walnuts and sold them in little plastic packages for 25 cents each. Uncle Rufus liked to fish, and we sometimes fished with him, even tenting over night once.

The picture with Phil and Uncle Rufus was taken at the farm near Coleta where Aunt Christine and Uncle Rufus lived until he retired and then worked at the dairy as night watchman for a couple of years. The house in Albany overlooking the Mississippi: Lucile bought it for her antique business and they put what little they had into it and lived their final years with her. I have several things from Aunt Christine. (from Janna Hey Dean)

In the 1950's, Grandma Ruth Holtzman Hey enrolled in a creative writing class. As an assignment, Ruth left these recollections concerning Christmas at Aunt Christine's: "The Bowl."

Grandson Tommy (likely), Uncle Rufus, Phil Hey

Uncle Pete, Aunt Sue
Michigan, 1924
(on back of photo)

Uncle Bill, Aunt Sue (1938)

Earl, Lucile, Rufus




Aunt Christine took care of Aunt Sue while Aunt Sue was dying of cancer. The funeral was at Aunt Christine's home. After Aunt Sue passed away, Aunt Christine kept Uncle Bill at their home in Coleta. He used to wander along the country roads there and pick up pretty stones which Aunt Christine used to make a rock garden. (recollection by Janna Hey Dean)

Lucile, Uncle Bill
(Aunt Sue's husband)

Aunt Sue, Jan, Sue

Christina Holtzman Weber's Grave
Husband Rufus Weber's Grave
Oak Knoll Cemetery, Sterling

Sue Holtzman Callahan's Grave
Oak Knoll Cemetery, Sterling

Lucile Weber Weller's Grave
Oak Knoll Cemetery, Sterling
Lucile was the daughter of Christina