Elisabeth Sophie Wilhelmine Frederica Adolphine (Knaack) "Rika" Heiden was born November 5, 1841 in Mamerow, Germany. She was baptized in the village church in Klaber on November 14,1841.

On Friday, February 21, 1868, she married August Friedrich Anton Theodor Heiden was born Saturday, January 27, 1838 in the nearby Village of Gross Wokern.

August and Rika (Knaack) Heiden had eight children including:
  1. Heinrich "Henry" (1866-1922),
  2. Ernst "Ernest" (1868-1950)
  3. Meta (1870-1873
  4. William Carl (1874-1967),
  5. Bertha (1876-1877),
  6. Herman (1876-1957),
  7. Lena (Koster 1881-1973)
  8. John (1884-1959)
Bertha and Herman were fraternal twins. Meta died shortly after the family emigrated to America in 1873. Heinrich, Ernst and Meta were born in Germany.

Knaack - Knack - Kanak - Knaak - Rika (Mrs August) Heiden and her daughter-in-law, Anna (Mrs Ernst) Heiden had similar maiden names. Both have been recorded in different documents as having one of the four spellings above for their maiden name.

In researching Rika's background, the old German church records most frequently spell it Knaack. In America, we find the occasional Knaak or Kanack. Since Knaack appears to be the accepted German spelling, that is what we will use...for now.

Anna in her obituary is listed as Knaack also. However, tracing her back into Germany finds her father's name is Knack and her Social Security application has her maiden name as Knack. So, it would appear that it is the proper spelling of her name.