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Frederick "Fred" Wilhelm Helle

14th Generation

FREDERICK "FRED" WILHELM HELLE, 14g

(Frederick 13)

Macomb, IL; 8 Nov. 1862

Smithijeld, IL; 18 Mar. 1928

br. Smithfield, IL; Baughman Cemetery

Forest City, IL; 2 Apr. 1891

EUPHEMIA "PHAMIE" MILLER, daughter of Christian and Catharine (Overdorf) Miller.

Lewistown, IL; 15 Jan. 1868

Smithfield, IL; 30 July 1947

br. Smithfield, IL; Baughman Cemetery

FREDERICK "FRED" WILHELM HELLE, the second child of Frederick and Katharine (Krauser) Helle, was born in Macomb, Illinois. He was an infant when his parents moved to Chicago and a toddler on the moves to Louisville, Kentucky, and back to West Central Illinois. Seven years old when his parents bought their first land near Spoon River, Fred grew to maturity on the family farm. In 1881, at age nineteen, he purchased the Northwest Quarter of Section 18 in Cass Township; 179.19 acres of land.

The Northwest and Southwest Quarters of Section 18 are larger than the normal 160 acres to pick up the additional land lying east of Spoon River. His loan (amount unreported) was at eight percent interest and he paid off the mortgage in 1889. He lived in a small house already on the farm and one of his sisters kept house for him for a time before his marriage to EUPHEMIA "PHAMIE" MILLER in 1891.

Euphemia had grown to maturity on her parents' family farm near Bemadotte, Illinois. They set up house-keeping in the original small house where their six children were born between 1892 and 1908. They were:

MARO HELLE, 15g

Smithfield, IL; 14 Feb. 1892

CORDA HELLE, 15g

Smithfield, IL; 16 June 1894

ROSS HELLE, 15g

Smithfield, IL; 21 Oct. 1897

Smithfield, IL; 9 Mar. 1899

br. Smithfield, IL; Buckeye Cemetery

VIOLE'1T LAURI~ITA HELLE, 15g

Smithfield, IL; 12 Jan. 1902

GEORGE WASHINGTON HELLE, 15g

Smithfield, IL; 11 Aug. 1904

MARIE GARNET HELLE, 15g

Smithfield, IL; 15 Dec. 1908

Granddaughter, Willodean (Helle) Esmond and her sisters were born and lived just one-half mile from Fred and Phamie. She writes that Phamie was a very strong and religious person. A member of the United Brethren Church of Smithfield, she encouraged her family to the doctrine of faith and was a great help to her husband. Being Pennyslvania Dutch, she had been taught to work and carry her burden well. She cooked for farm hands as well as for a big family and many times for her grandchildren.

She always gave a helping hand when needed, sound advice when necessary, was quiet in manner, religious in thought. She lived on the farm from the time of her marriage until 1930 when she moved into Smithfield into a house next to the United Brethren Church. Often one could hear her singing as she went about her work, usually religious songs. She remained strong through happiness and heartaches and someone to remember with pride for her great strength and courage in life, and most of all for her love for her family.

Frederick and Phamie secured a number of mortgages against the original land purchase in 1902 and 1903. All were paid and cancelled in 1907. On the Plat Map of Cass Township in The Standard Atlas of Fulton County, illinois, 1912, Fred Helle, Jr., is listed as the owner of the western half of Section 18 and 120 acres of the southeast quarter of Section 6. (See

1916 Plat Map, p. 71.) The transactions increased their holdings from 179.19 acres to a total of 485.19 acres. The major portion of the farm land was "bottom" land along Spoon River. Those acres of bottom land received the onslaught of the river's overflow during times of flooding. The havoc wreaked by the river can be devastating to a farmer and was one of the contributing factors in his later suicide. He wrote, "...and if we had not lost 3 crops out of 4we would be all O.K."

About her grandfather, Willodean wrote that he was a staunch Democrat, taking part in all Democratic affairs of Fulton County. He took great pride in his family and home and was always busy directing the affairs of the farm and farm hands. He was a man of new ideas, experimenting with new farming methods and new seeds; carefully weighing on the wagon drive-on scale assorted grains as they left for market. The farm house built in 1915 was a big square house with nine rooms, a closed screened porch off the kitchen, a large porch across the front of the house, and buildings and drives illuminated by a Delco System. (Rural electrification did not reach some remote areas of Cass Township until the late 1940's.) There were beautiful trees, orchards, concrete sidewalks and attractive fences. All out buildings - horse barn, three graineries, cow barn and silo - were painted red and white. Water from the well was pumped by a windmill to wooden tanks in different areas.

There were two other houses on this beautiful 365 acre valley farm. One was one-half mile from the main house where the oldest son, Maro Helle, and his family resided above a creek that ran to Spoon River. The second house, the early home of Fred and Phamie, was improved and son, George W., and his family lived there. The grandchildren spent many happy days with their grandparents to look up to and grow for the future, being taught honesty, work, to prosper, character, and most of all love.

"My feelings for my dear and loving grandfather came when my sisters burned the barn down and Grandpa kissed us and built a new one. Grandpa and Grandma are not gone but will always remain in the hearts of those left behind who are proud and thankful for the heritage passed from past generations to future generations."

By 1915 Fred and Phamie had amassed a prosperous and beautiful valley estate of over 485 acres of farm, pasture and timber land. They had worked very hard throughout their marriage but the rewards were many. Fred was well known and respected in the Fulton County farming community. Their children were rapidly becoming young adults. Their oldlest son, Maro, was married and the first grandchild, Thelma Irene Helle, had arrived in 1914. Fred's father had died as had his youngest brother. Fred was now the patriarch of the growing family of descendants of Frederick and Katharine.

Fred and Phamie were no strangers to grief for death had claimed the life of a child in infancy, parents and other loved ones. However, in November, 1918, they faced the greatest test of their lives when they were confronted with the self-inflicted death of their oldest son, Maro. Apparently it left a wound which never healed for Fred himself chose the same path ten years later.

This obituary appeared in Cuba Journal, Thursday, March 22, 1928:

People of Smithfield and Cuba were astounded Sunday to learn that Fred Helle, prominent Cass Township farmer, had hanged himself in a corn crib on his Spoon River bottom farm near Whites Ferry.

Mr. Helle's body was found hanging in the corn crib at 10:30 o'clock Sunday morning by Albert Jennings and Ed Wheeler, farmers, who happened by at this time. A rope taken from his home was used by the man to strangle himself Coroner Chapin conducted an inquest into the death. A verdict of suicide by hanging was returned by the jury.

It was recalled by citizens here that a son, Maro, took his own life about ten years ago in a corn crib on his home place. He tied a rope about his neck and then shot himself The rope strangling him as he fell.

So far as could be ascertained Mr. Helle had never mentioned taking his own life to anyone, but it was known that he had been despondent over crop failure and destruction of his crops for three successive years by flood waters from the Spoon River. Mr. Helle was also in ill health, friends declared.

He was in Cuba Thursday and Friday with his lifelong friend, Ed Reynolds and at that time he is said to have secured financial aid that would have tided him over the coming crop year.

An investigation conducted by Constable M. 0. Miller revealed that Mr. Helle had cut off about 12 feet of rope from a role of it at his home and then had driven to the corn crib on another farm which he owned, three miles from his home. The man had apparently climbed up the side of the driveway of the crib, tied the rope to a rafter and around his neck and then jumped into the driveway. It was believed that his neck was broken. Mr. Helle weighed 265 pounds.

His wife and four children survive him. They are George, Jr., and Mrs. Marie Weaver at home, Mrs. C. Laswell of Blyton and Mrs. Ralph Waughtel of Chicago. One brother, George Helle, Sr., of Cuba, and six sisters, Mrs. John Kuehn and Mrs. Charles Bolen of Smithfield, Mrs. Sherman Fouts and Mrs. Kate Blout of Ellisville and Mrs. John Orwig of Cuba and Mrs. Carrie Walters of Rushville, also survive.

The funeral was held Tuesday afternoon at the U. B. church in Smithfield, conducted by Rev. Sibert and burial was in Smithfield cemetery.

A letter written by Fred the day he died was to his only living son, George Washington Helle. Dated March 28, he wrote in part:

"Well, my dear son. ...look after Mother and be good to her and your family for you surely have a nice family....I think you old enough now (23) to settle up my estate do the best you can....if it is possible.. ..pay my granddaughters, Maro's children, for that is worrying the life out of me....Now George I dearly love you. You have done everything you could for me. ...

"May God forgive me,from your loving Father.

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