Helen Esther Heiden was born Tuesday, December 30, 1919 at the family home on Dixon Road. She was the eleventh child born to William Carl and Mary (Rambow) Heiden.

She attended nearby Bridge School through the 8th grade.

Over the years, Helen worked in a number of occupations. For several years, she worked at Leake Stamping Company in Monroe. While Mary Lou (Heiden) and Eugene Opfermann were raising their six children, Helen worked for them in the household. Later, she was emploed at the Monroe Convalescent Center before retiring.

She lived her retirement years in Monroe and passed away in Mercy Memorial Hospital on April 16, 1996. She is buried at the Rath Cemetery in Raisinville Township, Monroe County, Michigan. Helen, who never married, was 76 at the time of her death.
 

There were two Helen Heidens in the early generations. One, Helen Esther Heiden was the daughter of William Carl Heiden. She was often known as "sister Helen". The other is Helen (Henning) Heiden who was the wife of William Frank Heiden.

Wm Carl (46) and Mary (42) lived at the same farm with children Carl (19), Leo (17), Lester (15), Hilda (13), Mildred (11), Helma (9), Arthur (7), Marie (5), Wm Frank (2) and Helen Esther (<1).
This census shows Wm Carl (56), Mary (59), Carl (29), Marie (15), Wm Frank (12), Helen Esther (10), Wilma (7) and Norma Jean (2) living at the home farm. Wm Carl is shown as a carpenter.

Note:Norma was the last child and the first one born in a hospital. Her birth state is listed as Ohio.

Living at the home farm were Wm Carl (56), Mary (52), Marie (24), Helen Esther (20), Wilma (17) and Norma (12). Wm Frank (22) and his wife, Helen (20) also lived their with their first child, Carol (1).

Following the death of Mildred in 1939 at the age of 31, her husband John Eipperle and daughter Sally came to live in the house also.

Wm Carl and Mary are both listed as having completed the 8th grade. Marie was a barmaid who made $364 in the previous year. Helen Esther was an unpaid family house worker. John Eipperle who had completed 8th grad was a truck driver making an annual salary of $1,000. Wm Frank who also completed 8th grade was "working on his own account" and made $480 in 1939.
On this census, Wm Carl was listed as William Heiden, Sr. (76). He and Mary (72) were living on the home farm with daughters Helen Esther (30) and Norma (22). Helen Esther was listed as a house worker in a private home while Norma worked as a typist in an abstract office.

At this time, Wm Frank (32), his wife Helen (30) and their children Carol (11), Janice (9), James (7), Dianne (5) and Richard Carl (3) also lived at 8861 Dixon Road. Note: They would move a short distance away to 8420 Dixon to rent a farm before returning to 8861 when they purchased the farm from Wm Carl in 1960.
Helen Esther Heiden * * *  
    & Monroe, Michigan