In June 1900 his grandmother Helena [Braschler] Vanheest (69 years old, born in Holland), his father Nicholas Vanheest (29, Illinois, farm laborer), his mother Minnie (29, Illinois) and his siblings Tillie (6, Illinois), Lena V (5, Illinois), Johanna (4, Illinois), Annie (3, Illinois) and John (0, Illinois) lived on an own farm in the village of Lansing, nowadays a southern suburb of Chicago, West Hammond villages, Thornton Township, Cook County, Illinois.

In April 1910 Nicholas Van Hust (5, Illinois), his father Nicholas Van Hust (38, farmer), mother Minnie (38), siblings Tillie (16), Lena (15, Johana (14), Annie (12), John (10, Gilbert (8, Illinois), Nellie (7, Illinois), Katy (4, Illinois) and Minnie (2, Illinois) were living on their own farm in Thornton Township, immediately south of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.

In January 1920 Nikolas Van Heist (15), his father Nick Van Heist (48, farmer), mother Minnie (47), siblings Tillie V (26, home farm laborer), Leana V (25, home farm laborer), Johana (23, home farm laborer), Anna (22, home farm laborer), John (20, home farm laborer), Gilbert (18, home farm laborer), Nellie (16, home farm laborer), Katie (14), Minnie (12) and Mary (8, Illinois) were living on their own farm at Range Line Road in still Thornton Township, Cook County, Illinois.

On December 21, 1926 Nick Van Heest married in Munster, Lake County, Indiana the two years younger Marguerite Jongsma and had the following four daughters and son:
* Madge Elaine VanHeest;
* Wilma Ann VanHeest;
* Marlene Jean VanHeest
* Cynthia Gayle VanHeest;
* Gary Nicholas VanHeest.

In April 1930 Nicholas Van Heest (25, brick maker), his wife Margarete (23, Holland, immigrated in 1910), their daughters Madge E (2, Illinois) and Wilma A (0, Illinois) were living in their own house, worth $4500, at 627 183th Street in the village of Lansing, nowadays a southern suburb of Chicago, Thornton Township, Cook County, Illinois.

In April 1940 Nick Van Heest (33, laborer at a paper mill), his wife Margaret (31), their daughters Madge (12), Wilma (10) and Marlene (4, Illinois) were living in a rented house at William Street in Calumet City, Thornton Township, Cook County, Illinois. In 1935 they lived in the town of Lowell, Lake County, located in the extreme northwestern part of Indiana.

In July 1979 his wife Marguerite died at the age of 72 years in Hammond, Lake County, Indiana. Her widower Nick Vanheest died in July 1990, at the age of 86 years in Lansing, Cook County, Illinois.