Like a lot of pieces of family history, we do not know how August Heiden (left), who had immigrated from Germany in 1873, was able to purchase two properties with over 90 acres of land in Michigan by 1890. He was a "mason" i.e. brick layer and a carpenter so we assume he was good at his craft and many houses at this time were built of bricks.

One source said that he built the house where the Rambow family lived. With the help of his then teenage son, William Carl, he put the brickwork on the house at 8861 Dixon Road which was then owned by Mr. Meyers. Later after William bought that farm he helped build an addition to the house.

Not only did August seem to prosper but his two sons, Heinrich (right) and Ernst (left), who accompanied him from Germany also bought farms during these years. Heinrich's was at 8420 Dixon Road while Ernst's place was at 8925 South Custer Road. This was next door to August's house at 8700 South Custer.

William Carl (left), who was born in the U.S. in 1874 purchased a small farm in the late 1890s and then bought a larger farm at 8861 Dixon Road in 1909 on his 35th birthday. He worked as a carpenter as well as farming and helped build a township hall in the community of Grape in 1891.

In family stories, he always seemed to drive a big car and the farm house always had extra family members coming back to live for a while during their times of need. All this while raising 13 children!