Aurelia A. Heiman, 98, of Baileyville, Kansas died February 17, 2019 at Nemaha Valley Community Hospital.

She was born at the family farm east of Baileyville on October 28, 1920, the only daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Runnebaum Macke and the youngest child with seven older brothers.  She attended school in Baileyville, walking with her brothers from the farm.  Those same brothers would take their little sister to dances and ensure she was home safely, before taking their own date home.  Aurelia said she knew Elmer Heiman all of her life and their first date was to the prom.  They also went to movies and dances together.  Elmer asked Aurelia to “wear his ring” and they were engaged on Easter Sunday of 1942.  She married Elmer on November 27, 1945, after he returned from World War II.  They had three children and were married 62 years before Elmer’s death on February 13, 2008.

After they were married, Elmer and Aurelia made their home in Baileyville, living in three locations before they built a home in 1963.  They both loved to garden and work in the yard and had a large garden as well as a fruit orchard.   Many hours were spent canning, pitting cherries, pickling cucumbers, and storing the bounty of their work.  Elmer and Aurelia also had a home in Arizona for 20 years where they had many friends and played golf several times per week.  Aurelia was part of the Baileyville community for all of her life, until her move to Country Place Senior Living in November of 2011.  She moved to Crestview Nursing and Residential Living in January 2019.

Aurelia loved to play cards—any type of game!  She was a member of several bridge groups, both in Seneca and in Phoenix, and in her earlier years belonged to both pitch and pinochle groups.  More recently she played numerous games of Kings on the Corner and Skip Bo with her family and grandchildren.  Aurelia also loved to play Bingo, sometimes three nights per week.    She was also an avid football fan, attending many Chiefs and K-State football games through the years.

Aurelia was an owner of the Baileyville State Bank, before it sold in June of 2016, and served on the board of directors for 64 years, from January 1951 to January 2015.  She and Elmer traveled to many banking events and made wonderful friendships with other community bankers.  She was also a member of the Sacred Heart Church in Baileyville, and served as an officer of the Altar Society.  

She was preceded in death by her husband, Elmer Heiman in 2008; her son, Lynn Heiman in 2017; and her brothers Frank (Florina), Edward (Veronica), Albert, Bernard (Agnes), Raymond (Katie), Henry (Mary), and Lawrence (Rose Margaret) Macke.

Aurelia is survived by her children - Marilyn and Paul Boeding, Seneca; Judi and Rob Stork, Topeka; and daughter-in-law Connie Heiman, Seneca. Additionally, she is survived by her grandchildren - Brian and Julie Boeding, Wichita; Sara Heiman, Manhattan; Jennifer Heiman, Kansas City, MO; Jeff Heiman, Seneca; Erin Stork, Kansas City, MO; and Abby Stork, Pittsburgh, PA; her great grandchildren, Andrew, Megan, and Lily Boeding, Wichita; and her brother- and sister-in-law, Vern and Jody Heiman, Sun Lakes, Arizona.

Rosaries will be prayed at 2 & 7 PM Wednesday, February 20, 2019 at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca. Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 AM Thursday, February 21, 2019 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Baileyville.  

Memorials can be given in Aurelia’s memory to Sacred Heart Church and or Nemaha Valley Community Hospital, and sent in care of the family.

Lauer Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. To express your sympathy and for more information visit www.lauerfuneralhome.com .