family history
Anna M. Heilmaier's father Carl Heilmaier (1868-1933) was born in Freising, Bavaria and was a musician and a piano teacher educated at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Munich, Germany. He passed along his love of music to Anna.
Anna M. Heilmaier's mother, Johanna Ferberg (1875-1939) was born in Kempten, Germany.
Her parents married on May 20, 1892 in Munich and moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1892. They relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1894 where Anna's sister Johanna Heilmaier Jeffries (1894-1973) was born. The family settled in Saint Paul in 1895 where Anna was born, on April 5, 1900. Anna M. Heilmaier never married or had any children and was a lifelong resident of Saint Paul.
Education, Work History,and Professional organizations
Anna M. Heilmaier received her B.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1922. She was fluent in German, Greek, Latin, French and Italian. Anna was a high school teacher from 1922-1924 and worked for the St. Paul Public Library from 1926-1927.
On March 10, 1927, Anna became an assistant cataloguer part-time for the Hill Reference Library in Saint Paul and was promoted to full-time assistant reference librarian in 1928. In August of 1959, Anna became a full-time reference librarian at the Hill Reference Library until her retirement on December 31, 1966.
Anna contributed to a Hill Reference Library article that appeared in the Sunday edition of the St. Paul Pioneer Press every week during the 1930s and also wrote book reviews and articles describing specific collections at the Library. Anna was the archivist for the Minnesota Chapter of the Special Libraries Association and was an active member of the American Library Association and Minnesota Library Association.
Anna M. Heilmaier was active in the Saint Paul community and civic organizations such as the Women's City Club and the Schubert club. She enjoyed classical and chamber music throughout her lifetime.
The Anna M. Heilmaier Foundation
The Anna M. Heilmaier Foundations was established in 1993 upon her death to memorialize her love of music and the arts, as well as her commitment to healthcare. The Foundation supports non-profit organizations located in and/or delivering services in Saint Paul and the East Twin Cities metro region.
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