Ernst Carl Fritz "Ernest" Heiden was born in Mamerow, Germany on Wednesday, June 10, 1868 as the second child of August and Fredericka (Knaack) Heiden. He turned five years old just six days after his family arrived in America in 1873 aboard the S.S. Saxonia.

On Wednesday, April 17, 1895, he married Anna Sophia Knack. At the time of their marriage, Ernest was 26 and Anna was 18. Her birth date was Saturday, July 15, 1876 in Germany and she came to America with her family in 1883 when she was 7 years old.

They had ten children, 5 sons and 5 daughters (two daughters died in infancy) during their 55 years together.

They lived on the farm at 8925 South Custer Road which was immediately to the west of August Heiden who lived at 8700 South Custer Road. Ernest's home was later the site of Hovizi’s Greenhouse and is now the Flower Market. The house was torn down decades ago.

The children would have attended the one-room Fonia School. It was located about a mile or so away at 11411 Trost Road. One of Heinrich's daughters, Dorothy (Heiden) Strzesinski lived there in the 1950s when it had been converted to a residence after the school district was consolidated into Dundee Community Schools.

In 1944, they moved to Ida to live with their daughter, Ada Robbins and her family at 8004 Mill Street in Ida, Michigan.

Ernest and Anna both lived to the age of 82. He died on New Year’s Eve, Sunday, December 31, 1950 while at the Robbin's home and Anna passed away on Tuesday, June 30, 1959 while living at 8055 Ida East Road.

They had 19 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren at the time of Anna's death.

Ernest (Ernst) was living in the City of Monroe with his parents, August and Rika Heiden and brothers William Carl and Herman.
John Heiden (15) was living with his brother, Ernest (32).

Lived at 8920 Custer Stone Road i.e. South Custer Road. He was listed as being married at the age of 18 and had gone through the 7th grade in school.
Ernest (72) and Anna (64) were living at 8920 S. Custer Road with unmarried children, Elmer (31) and Ervin (27). Their son Walter (37), his wife Edith (23) and their children Gerald (4) and Wayne, Sr. (1) lived there too. Walter was listed as a truck driver making about $1,092 per year. Elmer and Ervin were each earning about $360 annually while Ernest was taking in about $900.
Ernest (82) and Anna (74) were living at 8004 Prairie Street in Ida, Michigan.

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.

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