I don't remember Grandpa getting mad at us. He always seemed easy going and good natured. Grandma was the disciplinarian. I remember filling the woodbox too, Ralph, and sometimes getting a nickel from Grandma. That was ok; it would buy a coke at Mitchell's ice cream parlor in Dundee.

I remember Grandpa sitting in his chair off the dining room smoking his pipe and once in a while playing his accordion. I can still see him coming up the lane from the woods with a pail of fresh picked blackberries or hoeing in the garden. And, of course, I remember him sitting in the swing under the tree by the driveway.

Picture: Wm Carl Heiden in the late 1950s.

Verdell (Heiden) Geibel - They always put on a nice lunch and the grand finale was watching Gunsmoke on TV. That was one of Grandpa's favorite programs.

I always remember how Grandpa enjoyed his sun room and front porch in the summer. He always looked so contented sitting there smoking his corncob pipe.

Sally (Eipperle) Guy - I have numerous stories in my memory bank about Ma & Pa Heiden. I lived with them from the time I was 20 months old until I was 9 years old (1939-1946). I lived with them again after I had Bruce. We stayed on the other side of the house for about 1½ to 2 years (1957-59).

I don’t ever remember Pa and Ma ever fighting but I am sure that I got Grandpa into hot water several times. He always made you feel that you were his favorite grandchild. Carol (Toburen) and I both knew that we were his favorite of all.

He used to go to Ida or to Meek’s Store a couple of times a week. Then, he would always leave a bag of candy on the back seat of the car. Carol and I used to try to beat each other to the car to see who would be first to get to the candy. Once when he came back and he had forgotten to get the candy but had purchased some rat poison instead. I was the first one to get into the back of the car and it sure looked like caramel to me. Before long, I was yelling for Grandma because I had a real bad belly ache!

Grandma was very upset with Grandpa and acted as if it was all his fault. I never heard any exchange of words between them but there were a few disgusted looks from her to him.

One time Grandpa saw me feeding Bruce outside. He came over and asked, “Something wrong in the house?”

I said, “No. Just thought I would give Bruce his lunch outside.”

As he turned away, shaking his head, he grumbled, “Don’t know what’s wrong with people these days! They want to eat outside with the flies and ants and go to the toilet in the house.”

Helen Esther Heiden - My thoughts about my Dad and Mother are very happy ones. I remember my dad going fishing with his very good friend, Bill Cominess, who lived across the river. They would sit out in the river in Charlie’s rowboat and fish for hours. Afterwards, Charlie would come to our house and play cribbage with dad.

I also remember dad going back to the woods to pick blackberries for our family and friends. We would make blackberry jelly and wine from them.

Pa also liked to work in his garden. There wasn’t ever a weed in his garden. He also liked to sit in his porch swing out in the yard and hoped that neighbor’s would drop by for a visit. They often did too.

I remember him driving us kids back and forth to school every day. On Saturdays, he would drive to Ida and get a shave and a hair trim. He would often play a few games of cards with friends also.

Richard Carl Heiden - The thing I remember most about Grandpa Heiden is when he would take me with him to pick blackberries back in the woods. I can still hear how he would roar the engine of the old gray Plymouth car he would drive to the woods. Also, I can hear his dry hands rubbing on the steering wheel as he turned.

I can also remember Grandpa always sitting in the swing outside with his flyswatter, wearing long-john underwear, even when it was 90 degrees out.

After a tractor was purchased to work the farm, the pair of horses previously used was retired. Grandpa kept those horses until they died of old age and used them to cultivate his large garden. He would hitch one of them to a hand cultivator and come down the road and cultivate our garden too. This was usually in the cool of the evening because he knew that it would be easier on the old horse then. Sometimes, he would let me lead the horse down the narrow rows since I was smaller and wouldn’t step on things.

Dianne (Heiden) Houpt - One thing really stands out in my mind about Grandpa. I had been in a car accident in 1963 and when I came home from the hospital, I went to see him. I was wearing a neck brace and when he saw me, he started crying. Back then it was highly unusual for a man to cry. He was a very caring, sensitive person.

Linda (Berns) Miller - I recall how happy they always looked when we came to visit. Visiting their home on a regular weekly basis was so much fun. I enjoyed sitting at the dining room table watching a serious game of euchre and sipping a little beer now and then.

Grandpa even when he was slow and shuffling, always enjoyed serving a treat to the kids. He enjoyed being the host.

I also don't remember him missing too many Sundays at church. At one time he had this huge three seated Packard car or something like that which was very plush inside with long rope handles on the back of the seats. He was not the best driver and he would race the motor and everyone would make fun of him.

Memories come and go and I'm sure more will come to me later but Grandpa and Grandma both are very vivid in my mind. When I allow myself to think back, I can still smell Grandma's bread and Grandpa's corn cob pipe.

Cheryl (Heiden) Stevens - Grandpa was the nicest man. Seems like he always had a smile on his face. I remember watching him playing cribbage, making corn shucks and just roaming around the farm. He'd sit in that little area off the dining room and smoke his pipe while checking out the neighbors!

He told me lots of stories about the land he owned and that it was sitting on an Indian burial ground. He was one neat man. I remember finding lots of arrow heads and often wonder what happened to all of them now

Dennis Tommelein - Grandpa would always reserve the filling of his corn cob pipe for one of the grandkids and usually they would pack it so tight with tobacco that it was a miracle he could smoke it at all. Still, he never complained, criticized or corrected any of us. He simply said, "Thanks, Dennis. She's drawing pretty tight tonight."

When the men would play cards and I was a young boy, Grandpa would let me fill his pipe and then reward me with a sip of his beer. Bill