On Thursday, September 28, 1922, Wilma Lois (Heiden) Bicking was born at the family home at 8861 Dixon Road. She was the twelfth child and seventh daughter of William Carl and Mary (Rambow) Heiden.

Wilma attended Bridge School through the 8th grade and won the Monroe County spelling bee in 1935 and 1936. She was the first of the Heiden children to attend high school and graduated 3rd in the Class of 1940 from Dundee High School.

During her years at D.H.S., Wilma took part in many activities including membership in the Coterie Club. According to the dictionary, this was a small, exclusive group of people with shared interests or tastes. She was also in the cast of the Junior Play entitled "Girl Shy" and was secretary-treasurer of the National Honor Society according to articles in The Dundee Reporter.

After graduation, Wilma moved to Detroit and lived at the YWCA while working as a teletype operator for Ford Motor Company. She was quite a fan of the Detroit Red Wings during her time in Detroit. For 18 months, she worked as an operator for Western Union.

On November 9, 1946, she became the bride of William Arthur Bicking of Monroe. The maid of honor was Wilma's sister, Norma "Jeanie" Heiden and bridesmaids included sister, Helen Esther Heiden, and niece, Mary Lou (Heiden) Opfermann. Her nephews, Walter and Lavern Berns were ushers. The reception was held at Woodman Hall in Grape.

After their honeymoon to New York City, they resided with Bill's parents at 538 Godfroy Ave in Monroe. They had three children.

After raising her children, Wilma returned to the workforce as Assistant Deputy County Treasurer for Monroe County where she worked 13½ years before retiring in 1982.

William Bicking was born on Friday, April 27, 1923 at the family home at 538 Godfroy Ave. in Monroe. He graduated from Monroe High School in 1941 and served as a Navy Pharmacist Mate 3rd Class during World War II. He worked for the Ford Motor Co. for over 30 years as a Waste & Water Treatment Operator.

Bill (left) was a member of the VFW Post 1138 in Monroe and enjoyed calling Bingo numbers on Friday nights at the VFW hall. He was an avid fisherman and loved to fish for walleyes on Lake Erie at every opportunity.

On Wednesday, November 7, 1990, Bill suffered a heart attack while putting his boat away for the winter. He was pronounced dead at Mercy Memorial Hospital in Monroe. He was 67 years of age. Burial took place at the Roselawn Memorial Park in LaSalle, Michigan.

On July 11, 2005, Wilma passed away at the age of 81 in Monroe. She is also buried at Roselawn Memorial Park .

Wilma and Bill had 8 grandchildren.




Additional new information was added to the original narrative which was written for the 1995 Heiden Family Book.
 

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 "Jeanie" 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.

William "Bill" Bicking (17) was listed as living with his parents, Arthur (40) and Margaret (39) Bicking at 538 Godfroy Ave, Monroe, Michigan.

Wilma (28) and her husband, William "Bill" Bicking were listed as living in an apartment at 811 South Monroe Street in Monroe, Michigan. Their two year old daughter, Patricia, was there also.