Dubuque Telegraph Herald, Jan 24, 1906
RICHARD H HELLER DIES OF PARALYSIS
Almost without warning his heart ceased to beat.
HAD BEEN UNUSUALLY JOVIAL.
But fifteen minutes elapsed between stroke and the final summons.

Richard H Heller who since 1880 has been an active and prominent citizen of Dubuque, passed away of paralysis of the heart about 3:45 Tuesday afternoon. He died almost without warning. Mr. Heller during the afternoon was apparently in his usual health. In fact he had seemed unusually jovial. At the time of the stroke he was joking with a number of friends in the office of his cigar factory No. (?) Clay Street. Suddenly he became deadly pale, complained of feeling weak and all but swooned. He was (hurried or carried) upstairs to his room and a physician summoned. His heart action was poor. The doctor administered restoratives until it reached fifty-nine beats and the patient seemed on the way to recovery.

The doctor, after having given a few instructions, departed. No sooner had he reached his sleigh than the patient ceased to breathe. The physician was again summoned but before he reached the bedside Mr. Heller had passed into his long sleep. It was but fifteen minutes from the time when the stroke was received until the final summons came.

Richard H Heller had been a resident of Dubuque for twenty-five years. For thirteen years previous he was a resident of Galena. At the time of his death he was sixty-three years of age. He leaves a wife and nine children, all of whom have reached maturity, as follows: Mrs. Louis Vogt, Phillip and Charles, Mrs. Geo Schwartz, Fred and Christ, Mrs. Louis Stolte, (Waterloo), and Hilda.

He is also survived by two brothers, -- William of Rice Township, Illinois, and Henry E. of Dubuque. Mr. Heller was born in Saxe-Meiningen, Germany, on June 21, 1841. He came to America in 1859, and settled first at Baltimore. Later he lived for a short time at Cumberland, of the same state, and from there went to New York. It was here that he was married 42 years ago, his wife's maiden name being Adeline Fromm. In 1867 he moved to Galena until he came to Dubuque in 1880.

Mr. Heller was a member of the {Majestic} Order of Germania Lodge A. O. H. W. and Dubuque Camp Modern Woodmen. He was one of the men who were prominent and active in the movement to erect Germania Hall and he was otherwise an earnest promoter of the welfare of the city. His own business was the manufacture of cigars, his factory, a huge one, being located at 1618 Clay Street. The funeral will be held at the late residence Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock. Interment will be at Linwood. Pastor Ficke of the Immanuel church, of which Mr. Heller was a member, will officiate.

FUNERAL OF R. H. HELLER

Body of Esteemed Citizen Consigned to Grave in Linwood With Masonic Rites

The funeral of R. H. Heller was held at 2 o'clock Friday afternoon. Services were conducted at the home of Rev. Herman Ficke of Immanuel Church. Miss Phena Strazinsky sang several appropriate hymns. There was a large attendance of friends at the home, also the fraternal societies of which Mr. Heller was a member sending representations.

The floral offerings were many and beautiful, among which was a beautiful set piece from an eastern tobacco firm of which Mr. Heller was a customer. The honorary pallbearers were G. F. Thormann, Emil Reh and John Glab. The active were Albert, Ney, Henry Hoffmann, John Flynn, Chas. Sass, Adam Doerr, Jr., Herman Ternes, Frank Beiler and W. Pollmayer. The interment took place in Linwood, Metropolitan Lodge AF & AM conducting the sevrices at the grave.

Submitted by Christa Hughes.