KATHARINA "KATE" FRANCISKA HELLE, 14g (Frederick 13)
b.
Smithfield, IL; 17 July 1876
Smithfield, IL; 17 July 1876d.Canton, IL; 14 Jan. 1951
Canton, IL; 14 Jan. 1951br. Deerfield, Twp., IL; Wiley Cemetery
m.Cass Twp., Smithfield, IL; 1 Jan. 1898
Cass Twp., Smithfield, IL; 1 Jan. 1898FRED ARTHUR BLOUT son of Bartley Boyd and Nancy Ann (Judy) Blout
b.Deerfield, Twp., IL; 5 Feb. 1873
Deerfield, Twp., IL; 5 Feb. 1873d.Deerfield, Twp., (Babylon Bend), IL; 24 June 1946
Deerfield, Twp., (Babylon Bend), IL; 24 June 1946br. Deerfield, Twp., IL; Wiley Cemetery
KATHARINA "KATE" FRANCISKA HELLE, the eighth living child of Frederick and Katharine (Krauser) Helle, was born on the family homestead northwest of Smithfield and grew to maturity there. Kate received her elementary education at the nearby one-room grade school. Not studiously inclined, she became adept at maintaining a home, cooking, needlecrafts and music. Daughter, Amy recalls: "My mother was very interested in her home and family, seeing to it that we had good meals and clothes to wear. She made all of my dresses and lingerie for grade and high school. She even made dresses for others; especially when the eight-gored skirt called the 'Whoopie' style came into being. She was always busy piecing and quilting quilts and was a very fast quilter. She was an active member of the 'Babylon Bend Busy Bees' throughout her married life. She always did a lot of canning of fruit, vegetables and meat; all raised on the farm. She was more of a home-body than was Dad. They used to come to Berwyn, Illinois, to visit and Mother was happy just visiting with her grandchildren, but Dad was out and away at six or seven in the morning going to the city (Chicago) to see things.
Kate was very musical and loved to play the piano--a Gulbransen player piano purchased partly with the money she received when the Helle Estate was settled.
She had her own one-man band when she played the drum with her left foot, pedaled the piano with her right foot, played the piano and played her French harp which was held to her lips by a wire contraption. She was always the organist whenever she attended Sunday School and church held at the Mt. Pleasant Grade School in the neighborhood. She was also interested in promoting flag drills held at the grade school on Flag Day and she played the organ and directed the small girls in their marching.
At age twenty-one, Kate married FRED ARTHUR BLOUT, a rural school teacher who taught at Robert's School located at the foot of Homer Hill and Route 9 before their marriage. To
reach the school during the warm months, Fred would row a boat across Spoon River which was south of the family farm and walk to the Valley School from there; in the winter, he would
walk across the ice of the river and then on to the school.
Fred attended college at Western Normal in Bushnell, Illinois. Meals were furnished by the college at fifteen cents a meal; there being a lot of soup served! He was a farmer all his
life. Very intelligent in English, arithmetic, geography and history, he never sat down without a newspaper or book in his hands. He submitted news items under the caption of "Babylon
Bend" to The Fulton Democrat and The London (Mills) Times.
Editor V. K. Vose of The London Times entered Fred's items along with other contributors of news in the contest and Fred won First Place in the Nation. He also won First Place twice in
the State with his news items, which consisted of more interesting data than gossip news.
From the age of twelve Fred kept a diary and his diaries have been microfilmed by the State of Illinois for posterity. He loved to collect Indian artifacts and was a close friend to Don and Marion Dickson of Dickson Mounds, now an Illinois State Museum, near Lewistown. He loved to travel and once made a trip to Anacortes. Washington, to visit his brother,
Vesper, and stopped at many points in-between to look up distant relatives. To travel that far in those days was a 'big thing' as most farmers did not have the money to travel that far away from home. He did a lot of 'arm chair' traveling through his reading.
Kate and Floyd were the parents of:
LLOYD BLOUT, 15g
b.Deerfield, Twp., IL; 29 Sep. 1898
Deerfield, Twp., IL; 29 Sep. 1898d.Deerfield, Twp., IL; 21 Aug. 1900
Deerfield, Twp., IL; 21 Aug. 1900br. Deerfield. Twp., IL; Wiley Cemetery
HARRY LEO BLOUT, 15g
b.Deerfield. Twp., IL; 25 Nov. 1901
Deerfield. Twp., IL; 25 Nov. 1901 INFANT SON, UNNAMED
b.& d. Deerfield, Twp., IL;
& d. Deerfield, Twp., IL; FLOYD OTIS BLOUT, 15g
b.Deerfield, Twp., IL: 5 Apr. 1909
Deerfield, Twp., IL: 5 Apr. 1909 FRANCES AMY BLOUT, 15g
b.Deerfield, Twp., IL; 27 Jan. 1911
Deerfield, Twp., IL; 27 Jan. 1911Kate and Fred faced the tragic loss of a child early in their marriage when their first-born child, Lloyd, died suddenly. His death was reported upon in a local newspaper:
DEATH'S DOINGS
The silent reaper of death has again passed through the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood. This time it leaves the home of Fred and Kate Blout desolate.
Little Lloyd Blout died Aug. 31st. at 4 o'clock n.m.. aged 1 year, 11 months and 2 days. The little one and its mother were at the home of its grand-parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Helle when it was taken very suddenly sick only lingering a short time.
Lifelong Resident of Babylon Bend Vicinity Found Dead
Fred A. Blout, lifelong resident and prominent farmer of the Babylon Bend vicinity was found dead last evening at 9 o'clock in a new tile ditch near his home, where, it is reported, he was last seen by a neighbor several hour previously. It is believed death occurred about 5:30 o'clock
He had been ailing from a heart condition for 18 month' but had been in good health recently.
Born Feb. 5, 1873, a son of Bartley B. and Nancy (Judy Blout, he was united in marriage Jan. 1, 1898 to Miss Kate Helle of Smithfield. One of a family of five children, all successful teachers, he was a correspondent of the "McDonough Democrat," at Bushnell at the time of his death, and had written for the "London Times" of London Mills, and "The Fairview Graphic."
Surviving are his widow, two sons, Harry Leo Blout, Berwyn, Ill., and Floyd Blout, Ellisville; a daughter, Amy, Chicago; six grandchildren, and a brother, the Rev. Harry Blout, Champaign.
Funeral services will be conducted tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 o'clock (CST) in the Wiley Lutheran church. Burial will be in Wiley cemetery. Friends may call at the Kugler Funeral home in Bushnell until the hour of the funeral. An inquiry will be held tomorrow by Dr. C. L. Lambert, Fulton County coroner.
Kate lived less than six years after Fred's death:
Mrs. Kate Blout, widow of Fred A. Blout, of Ellisville died at 6 p.m. Sunday in Graham hospital, Canton.
Surviving are two sons, Leo of Berwyn, and Floyd Ellisville; a daughter, Miss Frances Blout, Chicago; three sisters, Mrs. Dena Kuehn and Mrs. Bertha Bolon Smithfield, and Mrs. Carrie Walters, Frederick, III and six grandchildren. One son, four sisters, and five brorthers are dead
