Her first husband, Andreas Grefe died in 1830 in Germany. While still in Germany, she remarried Joseph Heise, himself a widower.  In 1849, they, with five children (Augusta, from Joseph's first marriage; Caroline, Henrietta, Dorothea, and Augustus Henry), left Germany from Bremarhaven aboard the ship "Margaret", and arrived in Baltimore on 18 May 1849, from whence they traveled on to Pittsburg.  In a few months both Joseph and Auguste died, and the children scattered to other relatives.
In addition to daughter Caroline marrying Jacob Graeser, Henrietta married Phillip Hedderich, Dorothea married Friederich Heers, and Augustus married Susan Duncan.