Margene Heffman

Grew up… without a father or a real family to support her. Margie moved to Utah from Colorado at a young age with her mother in order to attend Catholic school and start a new life.

Living… in a very unusual domestic set-up outside Salt Lake City. Margie is the third wife of the polygamous Bill Henrickson. Margie, the youngest of the three “sister-wives,” is still acclimating to her new lifestyle. She’s glad to have the sister-wives around to help her with her parental duties, but is not as happy to share the father of her children with them.

Profession… housewife, for now. Margie is a part of the team of sister-wives that keeps the family running. With eight children between them, Margie is struggling to find a balance between her intimate life with Bill and her communal life with the other wives. But the very energetic Margie would also like to do something productive outside the home, which is more complicated than it sounds when you’re living an illegal polygamous lifestyle that must be kept secret.

Interests… sex. Margie, as the youngest wife, has the most voracious appetite for her new husband. This hasn’t gone unnoticed by the other wives, Barb and Nicki, who sometimes find themselves struggling for Bill’s attention.

Relationship Status… married to Bill and to his two other wives. Margie admits that she “was so uninformed when [she] came into this marriage,” and that she’s has to get used to their unorthodox family structure.

Challenge… maintaining friendly relationships with the other wives. Margie knows that her presence in the family has caused some changes in their routine, but she’s on the path to accepting the fact that she has to share her love for Bill with the others. “I was marrying sisters… my sisters,” she says in a moment of tenderness. “That was my choice, and I’d make that choice all over again right now.”

Personality… high-spirited and optimistic, though sometimes childish and petty. While Margie loves being a wife and mother, she often finds herself yearning for something more from life. It’s a very difficult line to walk given her atypical domestic life.