Henry C. Hesseldenz, who has been successfully identified with the
commercial interests of Carlinville for some years, has spent the
greater part of his life in Macoupin county. He was born in the vicinity
of Braunfeltz, Texas, on the 17th of February, 1858, and is a son of
Michael and Elizabeth (Uth) Hesseldenz. The father’s birth occurred in
Pennsylvania, but he was reared to the age of twenty-one in Ohio, while
the mother was a native of Germany. Upon attaining his maturity Michael
Hesseldenz went to Texas, as a ranger, continuing to reside there until
1866, when he migrated with his family to Carlinville, engaging in
blacksmithing. He withdrew from this vocation later and engaged in
teaming following teaming and farming combined, continuing to reside in
Carlinville until his death on the 26th of March, 1901. The mother died
in August, 1899.
His first school days Henry C. Hesseldenz spent
in Texas, but he completed his education from the age of eight years on
in the public schools of Carlinville.
After laying aside his
text books he entered one of the mercantile houses here, remaining for
two and a half years. At the expiration of that period he found
employment in a grist mill and learned the trade, which he followed for
twelve years in the southern part of the state. Returning to Carlinville
he established a grocery store and has ever since been identified with
that business. Mr. Plesseldenz has met with success in his undertaking
and now owns the building in which his store is located and carries a
very choice and complete line of fancy and staple groceries.
It
was on the 15th of May, 1883, that Mr. Hesseldenz and Miss Julia Merrick
were united in marriage. Mrs. Hesseldenz is a daughter of Joseph and
Lucy (Ahrsan) Merrick, the father being a native of France and the
mother of Switzerland. Mr. Merrick emigrated to the United States,
locating in Dyer, Indiana, in the early days, where he taught for a
short time, subsequently taking a position in the public schools of
Carlinville. Here he passed away on the 9th of July, 1903, having
survived his wife for over twenty years, her demise occurring on the
20th of September, 1882. To Mr. and Mrs. Hesseldenz have been born
twelve children, namely: Frank, Mary, William, Lucy, Paul, Albert,
Maggie, Emma, Annie, Anton and Carl. John, the second member of the
family, died on the 4th of March, 1890.
Mr. and Mrs. Hesseldenz
are both communicants of the Roman Catholic church, in the faith of
which denomination they have reared their family. Mr. Hesseldenz loyally
supports the democratic party, but his time has always been so largely
taken up with his business interests that he has never participated to
any extent in political affairs, although he served as collector of
Carlinville township in 1893. From a humble beginning Mr. Hesseldenz has
come to be one of the foremost grocery dealers in Carlinville, his
progress being entirely attributable to his fine business principles and
recognition of the needs of his patrons.
Extracted 15 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from History of Macoupin County, Illinois: Biographical and Pictorial, by Charles A. Walker, published in 1911, Volume 2, pages 503-504.
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