Christian August Heil
Christian August Heil, a well known general merchant of Rayland, O., has been a resident here since 1905, and was born January 17, 1853, in Baltimore County, Maryland, a son of Nicholas and Elizabeth E. (Steehrath) Heil, both of whom were natives of Germany. His parents came to this country with their three oldest children, settled for a short time near Baltimore, and subsequently located on a small farm in Belmont County, Ohio. Here the father engaged in butchering until late in life. He died here in 1875, aged sixty-eight years, the mother dying in 1884 aged seventy-three years. Nicholas and Elizabeth Heil were the parents of five sons: John B., deceased; Charles; August W.; George W. and Christian August, the subject of this record.
Christian August Heil was quite young when his parents came to Belmont County, Ohio, and here was reared, and attended the public schools, later taking a course at Wilson Harding's private school at Wheeling, West Va. He grew up in his father's trade and at the age of twenty engaged in the business for himself on the old home place. In 1883 he removed to Wheeling, where he carried on an extensive business for ten years, and in 1893 removed from there to Martin's Ferry, O., where he operated a grocery store in connection with a market until 1905. He then entered into partnership with Frank L. Heinrich, and soon after purchased his present business at Rayland from T. .J. Stringer, leaving his daughter Bertha L. in charge of his interests in the Heil & Heinrick store at Martin's Ferry. Mr. Heil is assisted in his store at Rayland, where he carries a general line of merchandise, groceries, meats, etc., by his son Herbert L. and daughter Emma E., his other business interests often calling him out of town.
Mr. Heil was first married July 4, 1875, to Caroline Kanzig, who died in 1879, leaving two daughters; Ennna E., and Bertha L. His second marriage, which occurred in August, 1882, was with Eva Holpp of Monroe County, Ohio, and of this union were born; Jessie May and Herbert L., the former of whom is the wife of Albert T. Blumenberg and has two cliildren, Dorothy E., and Helen J. Mr. Heil is politically a Democrat and is fraternally a member of the B. P. O. E., No. 895 Martin's Ferry, and the A. O. U. W., No. 6 Welcome Lodge, of Wheeling, W. Va.
From 20th Century History of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio, by Joseph B. Doyle. Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, 1910