BRIGHETTA BERTHA "BERT" HELLE, 14g (Frederick 13)
b.
Smithfield, IL; 22 Oct. 1878
Smithfield, IL; 22 Oct. 1878d.Canton, IL; 26 Nov. 1951
Canton, IL; 26 Nov. 1951br. Canton, IL; Greenwood Cemetery
m.Smithfield, IL; 4 Apr. 1897 CHARLES HENRY BOLON, son of Benjamin Franklin Pierce and Sarah Melissa (Lasswell) Bolon
Smithfield, IL; 4 Apr. 1897 CHARLES HENRY BOLON, son of Benjamin Franklin Pierce and Sarah Melissa (Lasswell) Bolonb.Deerfield Twp., IL; 8 Feb. 1875
Deerfield Twp., IL; 8 Feb. 1875d.Canton, IL; 7 Jan. 1929
Canton, IL; 7 Jan. 1929br. Canton, IL; Greenwood Cemetery
BRIGHETTA BERTHA "BERT" HELLE, the ninth living child of Frederick and Katharine (Krauser) Helle, was born on the family farm northwest of Smithfield, Illinois. Apparently she was named after her paternal grandmother, Maria Brigitta (Henke) Helle, the difference in spelling being phonetic. At age eighteen Bertha married CHARLES HENRY BOLON. Both were members of the Mt. Pleasant Christian Church in the Buckeye neighborhood and Charlie served as superintendent of the Sunday School for several years. He was a strong opponent of the use of alcoholic beverages.
Bertha and Charlie were the parents of seven children:
GLADYS DESSIE BOLON, 15g
b.Smithfield, IL; 18 Oct. 1897
Smithfield, IL; 18 Oct. 1897 RUSSELL EUGENE BOLON, 15g
b.Smithfield, IL; 28 Apr. 1899
Smithfield, IL; 28 Apr. 1899 LETA MAYE BOLON, 15g
b.Smithfield, IL, 13 Apr. 1901
Smithfield, IL, 13 Apr. 1901d.Smithfield, IL; 7 Feb. 1937
Smithfield, IL; 7 Feb. 1937br. Canton, IL; Greenwood Cemetery \
LUCIEN MILTON BOLON, 15g
b.Smithfield, IL; 22 Sep. 1903
Smithfield, IL; 22 Sep. 1903 HARRY CLOYD BOLON, 15g
b.Smithfield, IL; 6 June 1905
Smithfield, IL; 6 June 1905 HOWARD BERLIN BOLON, 15g
b.Smithfield, IL; 22 Mar. 1908
Smithfield, IL; 22 Mar. 1908 LESLIE WILSON BOLON. 15g
b.Smithfield, IL; 12 Oct. 1918
Smithfield, IL; 12 Oct. 1918Born in Deerfield Township, Charlie's family moved into Cass Township when he was two years of age. With the exception of three years-- 1919-1922--when Charlie took over the management of the farm of J. H. Howard in Deerfield Township, he and Bertha spent their married lives in Cass Township. In addition to farming and raising swine, Charlie was also a well known lumber mill operator and maintained a threshing run. His steam engine for those operations was a Port Huron Single Piston Compound. Charlie was elected as assessor of Cass Township several times and he served for three years as a director of the White Oak Grove School District. Greatly interested in education, Charlie and Bertha made arrangements for those children who so desired to complete high school and at the time of Charlie's death, three sons had graduated from Canton High School and Harry and Lucien were enrolled at the University of Missouri at Rollo. Oldest daughter, Gladys, was a teacher in the Canton schools.The following excerpts were taken from two different obituary notices saved by family members:
CHARLES S. BOLON OF SMITHFIELD DIES SUDDENLY ON VISIT
End Comes Unexpectedly Here at Home of Daughter, Mrs. Glady Crouch
Mr. Bolon had not been under a physician's care and it was only yesterday that he complained of not feeling well. This morning he still did not feel well and a physician was called, but he was dead when the physician arrived. Coroner C. Lester Lambert will hold an inquest this evening at 7 o'clock at the Murphy Memorial homeCharles Bolen Stricken
Not since we have been writing these columns have we been called upon to pen words which bring us such a keen sense of personal loss. He, the big, good-natured farmer--our friend, our neighbor, and pal. Called from the field of action, when to mortal observation, he had just passed the meridian of life, with seemingly many years of usefulness before him. No warning, only a little indisposition, which he only laughed at when suggested to call a doctor. But when the physician called a little while later, upon the request of his son-in-law, Emery Crouch, he found only the mortal clay, the spirit having slipped away so quickly, so silently that none could realize that life was no moreLast week Mr. and Mrs. Bolen went to Canton to help care for their little granddaughter, Caroline (Kathryn) Crouch, while her mother underwent a major operation at the Graham hospital, and it was here that the sudden and final call came, on Monday, Jan. 7. Besides the wife and children. and one grandchild, other near relatives remaining are a brother.
two sisters, Mrs. Chas. Miller and Mrs. Emery Miller of
Cass township and Mrs. Davis of Cuba.
Bertha continued to reside on the family farm, Russell, Leta Maye, Howard and Leslie still living at home. Howard married in 1930 and Leslie entered Canton High School in 1932.Daughter, Leta Maye died in 1937. Oldest son, Russell, continued the farming operation and threshing run in conjunction with brother, Howard, who lived in the Sinnett Chapel area until 1943. Bertha died at age seventy-three. Excerpts from her obituary are:Bertha Bolon Dies at Canton; Rites Wednesday.
Canton, Nov. 26--Mrs. Bertha B.(Helle) Bolon, Smithfield, R. R. 1, a lifelong resident of Cass and Deerfield townships, died in the Graham hospital at 10:45 a.m. Monday where she had been admitted on Sunday as a medical patient. She had been in ill health for some time .Surviving are the following children, Russell E. Bolon, at home; Mrs. Gladys B. Crouch of the Canton high school faculty; Howard Bolon, R. R. 2; Harry and Lucian Bolon, Rolla, Mo., and Lt. Corn. Leslie W. Bolon, Atlanta, Ga.; nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Mrs. Dena Kuehn, Canton and Mrs. Carrie Walters, Frederick. A daughter.. . and four brothers and six sisters preceded her in death. Funeral services will be held in the Murphy memorial home at 2 p.m. Wednesday . 