Clifford Diedrich Heiden, age 93, of Rushford, passed away peacefully on November 6, 2025, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Home in Rushford.
Cliff was born on January 26, 1932, on the family farm in Hart to Leo and Dorathea (Meyer) Heiden. Farming was at the heart of his life from an early age. He attended Rushford High School until age 16, when he returned home to help farm. After earning his GED, he worked for the Agricultural Experiment Station (La Crosse and Lancaster, Wis.), gaining skills he later used to improve the family operation. He started farming in Yucatan and worked at Trane Company before returning to the family farm in Hart, where he farmed with his son Kerry. Cliff took great pride in his farm, his livestock, and in the work of being a good steward of the land.
In 1952 he married Avis Palmquist and together they had two children, Kerry and Kaye, and later divorced.
On June 2, 1979, he married Patricia (Moran) Halvorson at the family farm. They shared many adventures, square dancing, traveling to Branson, Europe, Las Vegas, and cycling the western states and Canada.
Cliff was active in St. John’s Lutheran Church and the Rushford Lions Club, where he received the Melvin Jones Award. He also served on the Farmer’s Cooperative Elevator Board and the Tri-County Cooperative Oil Board. For over 20 years, he was the announcer for Rushford (Rushford/Peterson) football games and received an award for his dedication and service. He was also a loyal Green Bay Packers fan.
Cliff is survived by his wife Pat; son Kerry (Faye) Heiden; grandchildren Anthony (Jessica) Heiden, Laura Heiden and Adam (Heather) Ronnenberg; and great-grandchildren Emma, Kail, Archer, Jora, Grace, Evan and Harper. He is also survived by siblings Eunice Zicha and Ione (Claire) Olstad, stepchildren Jennifer (Scott) Williams, Jeffrey (Shari) Michel, Timothy (Sandra) Halvorson and Lisa (Eric) Stoltz; along with eight step-grandchildren and two step-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, daughter Kaye Ronnenberg, siblings Cleo McMillin, Lila Jameson and Lester Heiden; brothers-in-law Emil Cordes, Merlin Jameson and Lee McMillen; and sister-in-law Sandra Heiden.
Cliff will be remembered for his deep love of farming, his dedication to family, and his lasting contributions to his community.
A funeral service will be at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Hart. Visitation will be held at Hoff Funeral Home in Rushford on Monday, November 17, 2025, from 4-7 p.m., and will continue one hour prior to service at church.
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