Ralph Heiden - I also have some papers here from the German government that gives August and his family permission to leave Germany. It is for August and his wife, Rika, and three children, Heinrich, Ernst and a little girl, Meta.

Helma (Heiden) Nickel - Meta was the one that died on the ship on the way over. August and his family arrived about a year before William was born on April 1, 1874.  [See note below]

Jeanie & Wilma (Heiden) Bicking - We always heard that she died on the boat and was buried at sea.

Ralph Heiden - Unfortunately, the ship’s records do not show that happening. Normally, if someone died on the ship, that would be noted and there is nothing on the list to indicate that Meta died on ship. The ship’s list that I have shows August Heiden's age 34, a mason.

Norma "Jeanie" Heiden - A mason? Oh, you mean a bricklayer, not a member of the Masons.

Ralph Heiden - Yes. It also lists Rika, 31, his wife, Herman, 6 years old, male, Ernst, 4 years old, a male, his children, and Meta, 9 months, his baby.

Helma (Heiden) Nickel - Herman? That should be Henry.

Ralph Heiden - You’re right, it is Heinrich (right). But there was no mention of anyone buried at sea.

Wilma (Heiden) Bicking - We all heard the story that a baby was buried at sea.

Ralph Heiden - That would seem logical since there doesn’t appear to be a record of her here in Michigan. At least not that I have found so far.

Later research discovered that Meta made it to America but died on June 16, 1873 only 12 days after they arrived from Germany. She was just 2 years and 5 months old at the time of death and is buried at the Zion Lutheran Church cemetery in Monroe, Michigan.

Wilma (Heiden) Bicking - Were the Rambows on the ship list that you got, Ralph?

Ralph Heiden - No but I don’t have the complete list. I only have a copy of the first page with the details about the ship and then the page that lists August Heiden and his family. They were passengers number 304 through 308 so there were probably 400 or more people on the boat. I will check it out.

Wilma (Heiden) Bicking - It is funny that they lost that baby, Meta and didn’t name some other children after her later on.

Norma "Jeanie" Heiden - Helma, is your middle name, Meta?

Helma (Heiden) Nickel - No, its Nettie. That was Nettie Spohr, they were a neighbor and she stood up for me. She and Aunt Emmie and Uncle Heinrich "Henry" Heiden were my Godparents.

The Rambows came to America in April, 1874 on the ship, S.S. Thuringia about one year after the Heidens arrived in 1873 on the S.S. Saxonia.