Margaret A. Heilstedt

HEILSTEDT, MARGARET A. January 4, 2022. Beloved wife of Dick for 66 years. Dearest mother of Richard (Jen Meagher) and Debbie (Ron) Desjardins. Loving grandma of Derek and Crystal (Rickie) Elkins. Loving sister of Rick (Carol) Diem. Margaret was born to Richard “Dick” Diem and Alice (Gibbens) Diem on July 23, 1935, at Providence Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. She was named Margaret Ann after her paternal grandmother. When she was about three, she gave her folks an ultimatum: either get me a sister or brother to play with or she would go back and live with God! The result of that ultimatum was brother Rick, affectionately known to Margaret as Ricky, born on September 18, 1939. She admitted she was a little disappointed when she saw him for the first time; she had expected another four-year-old! She started kindergarten at the John Marshall School and continued there through the fourth grade. When she was 11 the family moved from the East Side to the Northwest section of Detroit. They moved primarily so Rick and Margaret could go to a Catholic school. Rick was just starting the first grade and Margaret was entering the fifth grade. They moved into a big old two-story house in St. Mary’s of Redford Parish. During the following 5 or 6 years her dad completely remodeled the house-inside and out, completing the work on his own as he had been a carpenter before joining the Detroit Police Force. Margaret said that some of her most memorable and wonderful years of her life were spent in school-particularly high school. Football was the big sport at St. Mary’s. She and her friends used to make posters, have rallies and bon fires and say many prayers, so that their “Rustics” would win. She recalled her “gang” sitting in the bleachers saying the Rosary for the team when, all of a sudden, they would miraculously come from behind to win in the last few minutes of the game. Margaret graduated from High School in June 1953 and started to work two days later at the B.G. Kendall Insurance Agency. Her girlfriend, Dorothy, started working with her about three weeks later. On September 20, 1953, Margaret met the man who would soon become her husband – Richard “Dick” Heilstedt. Margaret was eighteen and Dick was twenty-two. They met on a blind-date, introduced by one of Margaret’s best girlfriends and one of Dick's best buddies. It didn’t take long for them to fall in love. Dick proposed to Margaret on her 19th birthday. After dinner at the Sea Food Grotto, they went for a drive and after a few miles, Dick pulled off on a side road, pulled a little white box out of his coat pocket and asked her to be his wife. They were married on August 6, 1955, in St. Mary’s of Redford Church. They honeymooned in Northern Michigan for two weeks. They first lived in a 3½ room upper income on Freeland Avenue in Detroit and then moved into their “starter” home in Dearborn Heights in January, 1958, where they continued to live until Margaret’s passing. In March of 1966, they welcomed Richard Michael aka “Dickie” into their family. Deborah Ann “Debbie” became a part of family two years later. Dick worked at Channel 2 and Margaret was able to stay home as a wonderful homemaker. It was during this time that she found her passion for sewing. Ask either Dickie or Debbie to tell you the story about the matching Bicentennial pants. During the kids’ childhood, the family spent many wonderful vacations with Dick’s work family from Channel 2 in Kentucky and West Virginia. Margaret also took the role of Den Mother for Dickie in the Cub Scouts as well as being an active member along with Debbie in the Brownies. Margaret was also very involved at St. Linus Church, where she was a member of the Christian Women’s Club, as well as a Eucharistic Minister during masses. Margaret also found time to usher at the Fox Theater in Detroit from time to time. During the kids’ late teenage years, she spent time selling Mary Kay Cosmetics as well as working as a sales associate at Lord ‘n Taylor, a job that she loved and for which she was well-suited. In her later years, Margaret joined the Red Hat Society and met many wonderful people that she was proud to call friends. In 1987, Dick and Margaret became grandparents for the first time when Dickie, now known as Richard, graced them with a grandson, Derek, and Debbie brought their granddaughter, Crystal, into the world. Margaret adored her grandchildren. It was always a holiday tradition to get together with them and bake Christmas cookies. Holidays were always very important to Margaret, and she always went the extra step to make holidays extra special for her family. Dick and Margaret were fortunate enough to be able to winter down in the Destin area of Florida for close to 25 years where they enjoyed golf and meeting new friends, as well as being active in the local church, St. Rita’s. Margaret always enjoyed a cold beer, even until her final days when even a sip would make her smile. She had a sense of style and class that she made her own, including sporting giant sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat on bright, sunny days. Even after 66 years of marriage, Dick and Margaret never lost their love for each other and were smooching ‘til the end. She will be greatly missed. Memorial Visitation Thursday at 10 am at St. Linus Church until time of Memorial Mass at 10:30 am In lieu of flowers family suggests a donation to the Alzheimer's Association