During initial research in 1992, it soon became apparent that very little factual information was recorded on the Heuer ancestry.  Additionally, the previously compiled family history was not totally accurate, and it usually raised more questions rather than providing answers.  As efforts continued to gather copies of actual historical documents, one discovery led to another, resulting in a unique personality created for each ancestor in the minds of the researchers.  The realization that what was initially a simple genealogical search was evolving into a comprehensive project, resulted in the selection of talented people with the necessary skills and perseverance to devote hours, days, weeks, and years to complete the project resulting in the publication of this book.

        In 1993, after a family meeting of fifth‑generation Heuers in Houston, Texas, decisions were made on the breadth of the research to be done, assignments of roles and responsibilities of willing family members, and setting of target dates for completion of activities.  A mission statement was written: to provide accurate, historical information of all descendants of Johann Friedrich and Catharina Sophia Ruhnke Heuer in one written document for current and future descendants so anyone may review his/her ancestry; may conduct ongoing documentation of future generations of Heuer, Bergin, Gericke, Zastrow, and Raether families; and may be a resource for geographically diverse Johann Heuer descendants that includes a precise history of the area of Wisconsin where family roots were planted when pioneer immigrant families sought new lives and freedom in America.

        This book goes beyond genealogy, usually defined as a history of the ancestry of a person or family; a pedigree or lineage.  It also includes details of individuals’ lives in each family: what they did, where they lived, how they survived and excelled, and how they coped with the ever‑changing world that confronted them.  The chronologies of those who have died and of the older family members are at – or nearing – completion, while the stories of the young are being created with each passing day.  Many readers may imagine themselves in the context and environment of their ancestors and understand that while they lived, they knew nothing of the future that would bring the modern conveniences that are enjoyed today.  Other readers may not, for whatever reason!  They will view our ancestors as poor, oppressed, unsophisticated people without a voice.  To do so is a disservice to pioneers who were progressive, intelligent, and daring so their descendants could live a better life – a dream that came true for most of the immigrants.

        Chapter One is a brief review of the evolution of the tribes of northern Europe who eventually became united and formed the nation known as Prussia.  This historical summary leads to the conclusion that descendants of people of these Germanic tribes may not be able to determine their ancient ancestry.  The history of Prussia section, especially the 1600s to the 1800s, summarizes the many events that affected the lives of our ancestors.

        Chapter Two begins the Heuer genealogy and history.  It reconstructs relocations of related families from 1707 to the emigration of Johann Friedrich Heuer and his family of seven children.  Included are descriptions of the villages, churches, their homes, and lifestyles.

        Chapter Three recounts the emigration of the Johann Friedrich Heuer family to America and the primitive conditions they encountered when they arrived in Wisconsin to settle.  A history of the Wolf River in Kewaunee County, and its evolution to Ahnepee, Ahnapee, and Algoma provides a backdrop for the experiences of the immigrants.

        Chapter Four details the history of the seven children of Johann Friedrich and Catharina Sophia Ruhnke Heuer and lays the foundation for the lives of their descendants.  Included is historical information concerning events that influenced and changed their lives in the small towns and townships that comprise Kewaunee County, Wisconsin.  Descriptions of land acquisitions and transactions are thoroughly detailed to give the reader an exact, complete reference to the area.

        Chapters Two, Three, and Four contain deliberate redundancies of family information for two reasons.  First, the repetitive use of same first names created the necessity to re-identify each person by full names as they were discussed; confusion is inevitable, but without the redundancies, tracking individuals of various families would be very difficult.  Second, the deliberate redundancy in Chapter Four precludes Heuer family descendants from having to recreate family histories of the seven children of Johann and Catharina as they follow their specific lineage.

        Chapters Five through Ten trace the descendants and relationships of all members of the Johann Friedrich Heuer family through nine generations.  Throughout these chapters are the historical sketches of individuals and the reader will notice that some of the historical sketches are short while others are longer.  Keep in mind that the length of the sketch should not be misconstrued as a measure of success of any person, rather it is correlated to the availability of information from published sources or from the family itself.  Some families provided extensive biographies and others chose not to do so.  In any case, the cutoff for data inclusion was 31 December 2000.

        Appendices contain information on subjects that are important but not easily inserted elsewhere.  Appendix A is a 53-page Heuer family tree of the more than 6,000 descendants of Johann Friedrich Heuer and their families.  Appendix B, has more information on how this history was developed, researched, and written.  Serious researchers may find it useful.

        Every effort has been made to present accurate and verified information in this history.  However, some of the vital statistics were provided directly by family and relatives, and this data was not verified, especially for living descendants.  Because of the sheer size of this family tree, there is no doubt that errors of both omission and recording exist.  For family members affected, we apologize for any errors and request that you let us know so they can be corrected.

        If  “a picture is worth a thousand words,” then the absence of them in this book is its greatest shortcoming.  Some people graciously loaned photographs from personal archives and waited patiently as we processed them.  Some photos were reprocessed two and three times as technology changed.  Since photographs provide a priceless bridge for a “human” connection between the written chronology and a person’s life, we endeavored to make the best use of any and all visuals provided.  Those who sent photographs have honored themselves and their ancestors by bringing them back to life so they may continue to live on these pages and be seen by future generations.