Edwin Herman Ernst "Pete" Heiden was born July 30, 1899 as the second child of Ernst "Ernest" and Anna (Knack) Heiden. He was born at the family home at 8925 South Custer Road.

He attended the one-room Fonia School which was located about a mile or so away at 11411 Trost Road through the 8th grade.

On December 8, 1926,  married Lela Ella Viets at the St Matthew Lutheran Church in Raisinville Township. Lela was the twin sister of Lila (Viets) Heiden who was married to Pete's cousin, Lester Heiden. The sisters were born on February 14, 1906.

For much of their married live, Pete and Lela lived at 12880 South Custer Road between Dixon and Alford Roads where they raised their 3 children. Pete worked for 31 years at Consolidated Packaging Company in Monroe, Michigan

He passed away on July 7, 1977 in Mercy Memorial Hospital in Monroe at the age of 77 and is buried in Maple Grove Cemetery in Dundee, Michigan. Lela died on December 12, 2001 at the age of 95 and is also buried in Maple Grove Cemetery.

 

Lela and Lila were born into the Frank McIlrath family but were adopted and raised by the Viets family. Their biological siblings included William McIlrath, Marie (McIlrath) Kanavel and Isabelle (McIlrath) Meyer. Click here for a photo.

The name is spelled Mcilrath with the i capitalized so it looks like a double ll depending on the font.