Howard John Heiden was born July 6, 1920 as the only child of John and Agnes (Brockman) Heiden. Growing up, he lived at the family farm at 8700 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. Howard graduated from Dundee High School in 1939 and then completed an Agriculture Short Course at Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University).

According to articles in The Dundee Reporter, Howard was one of the top scorers on the Dundee High School basketball team in 1939.

On February 6, 1943, he married Mildred I. Foster in East Lansing, Michigan with Howard's first cousin, Marvin Koster, as his best man. After the wedding, they lived on a farm in Ridgeway Township, Lenawee County, Michigan. In addition to farming, Howard also worked for Tecumseh Products. They had four children.

Mildred who was born November 14, 1921, passed away on January 18, 1973 and is buried in Maple Grove Cemetery in Dundee, Michigan. She was 51 years old.

On March 27, 1977, Howard married Barbara M. Steger. They had no children.

On September 24, 2015, he died at the age of 95 in the Cambrian Assisted Living Center in Tecumseh. Howard was also buried at the Maple Grove Cemetery.

At the time of his death, he had 21 grandchildren, 34 great grandchildren and 3 great, great grandchildren.  (Note: This includes those from Howard's 5 step-children from his second marriage.)