Sheldon and Hazel

SHELDON LYLE HELLE. 15g (George A. 14, Frederick

13)

b.Cuba, IL;  Nov. 1913

HAZEL NELLE HENDRICK, daughter of Frederick Vincent and Nelle M. (Ault) Hendrick

b.Wyoming, IL;  July 1914

SHELDON LYLE HELLE was the seventh son (eighth child) born to George A. and Ida (Kaler) Helle. Sheldon recalls his first love at age four was his sixteen year-old first cousin, Corda Helle, and they were to get married when he grew up. He met his next love, HAZEL NELLE HENDRICK. fourteen years later and they married when he was twenty-one. Hazel was the oldest of four children in the Hendrick family. Sheldon describes her: "Hazel had both beauty and charm, a small girl about five foot tall and one-hundred ten pounds."

Sheldon was a lively youngster and got into more than his share of troubles; too many to relate here. However, an example is his frist swimming lesson. He was fishing off the end of a homemade diving board and fell asleep. Wakened when he landed in the water, his choice was clear and he swam.

Sheldon and Hazel are the parents of:

LYLE RAYMOND HELLE, 16g

b.Peoria, IL;  Mar. 1936

THELMA LOUISE HELLE, 16g

b.Savanna, IL;  Sep. 1941

HARLEY VINCENT HELLE, 16g

b.Fairfield, IA;  Oct. 1942

JANET LORRAINE HELLE, 16g

b.Savanna, IL;  Mar. 1946

Sheldon and his brother, Walter, (The original Slim 'n Spud guys according to brother, Gail.) moved to the Savanna area

when the Mississippi River dams were being built and cut the timber above the dams before the land was flooded. In his booklet Logging on the Mississippi River in the Twentieth Century Sheldon details the activities of their logging operations from 1928 until 1982. He writes: "I am still fascinated by the beauty of the Mississippi." In their later years Sheldon and Walter operated Wood Products Co. in Savanna and manufactured wooden pallets. On 11 October 1980 they held an open house to celebrate opening of the new plant and forty years at Savanna. Now semiretired, the day-to-day management of the company and nearby sawmill is handled by their children.

In 1956, the death of their recently married oldest son devastated the lives of Sheldon and Hazel, their families and friends. Sheldon was called by the Sheriff's office in Lanark and told, ". . . One of your trucks is wrecked west of Lanark in the viaduct. The men (David Helle, Sheldon's nephew, was with Lyle. He survived.) are pinned in the cab and it is burning . . . we were in a daze and the pain was awful

all felt a terrible loss . . . I realized then this is what happened at Wyoming (Illinois) when my sister died twenty-four years prior. We just cannot get used to it but we know the ones gone want us to carry on. so we do."

''We Remember

Gail Helle, Brother

We had to watch Sheldon because if we were discussing changes or about doing something, we had to talk low or Sheldon would have it done before we even knew if we had a good idea. All in all, I have really enjoyed my relationship with Sheldon and Walt from all the years I have worked with them. What a privilege it has been to work with and be with these two guys. It has been fun!

Tern L. (Temple) Helle, daughter-in-law

I was driving through Thompson. Illinois, totally absorbed in thought about my wedding plans to Harley when I was stopped for speeding. My driver's license was not current and the officer said I had to go to jail unless I had a one-hundred dollar cash bond. The officer let me call Sheldon. By that time I was hysterical and embarassed. Of course, he thought my situation was funny. He saw to it that I got the bond money but I was branded the almost jailbird and Sheldon and family have teased me endlessly on it.

Sharon Kay (Osborn) Bearce, niece

Sheldon is spunky and full of fun. He is always teasing and full of stories. He is generous in a way that some probably take advantage of. He and Hazel are my neighbors and we visit often back and forth. Hazel has her hands full trying to reform Sheldon. They both are a joy.

LYLE RAYMOND HELLE, 16g (Sheldon 15, George A.

14, Frederick 13)

b.Peoria, IL; 15 Mar. 1936

d.Lanark, IL; 7 Sep. 1956

br. Savanna, IL

m.Savana, IL; 6 Apr. 1956

JUNE ELANE GRIMM, daughter of Grant and Lessetta (Dauphin) Grimm

b.Mount Carroll, IL; 13 Aug. 1940

Lyle and June's daughter was born two months after his death:

DONNA LEE HELLE, 17g

b.Savanna, IL; 10 Nov. 1956

DONNA LEE HELLE, 17g (Lyle 16, Sheldon 15, George

A.14, Frederick 13)

b.Savanna, IL; 10 Nov. 1956

m.Las Vegas, NV; 2 July 1978 dv. Aug. 1979

RUSSELL ALAN HOUZENGA, son of Leland Jay and Mary Lou (LaShelle) Houzenga

b.Savanna, IL; 3 Apr. 1954

Donna and Russell are the parents of:

TRAVIS LEE HOUZENGA, 1 8g

b. Clinton, IA; 5 Dec. 1978

NYSSA ALEXIS HOUZENGA, 18g

b.Clinton, IA; 25 Aug. 1980

KALER ALAN HOUZENGA, 18g

b.Clinton, IA; 10 July 1983

THELMA LOUISE HELLE, 16g (Sheldon IS, George A.

14, Frederick 13)

b.Savanna, IL;  Sep. 1941

m.KONRAD GAYLE RADKE, son of Emil and Elizabeth Radke

b.Stockton, IL;  June 1940

d.      Dixon. IL.July 2009 Obituarie

Thelma Louise and Konrad are the parents of:

ELIZABETH RAE RADKE, 17g

b. Savanna, IL;  Aug. 1963

c.  LYLE EDWIN RADKE, 17g

b. Aurora, IL;  July 1965

c.  REX VINCENT RADKE, 17g

b. Casper, WY;  Jan. 1967

c. AUDREA GALE RADKE, 17g

b. Scottsbluff, NB;  Jan. 1971

c.  RYAN KONRAD RADKE, 17g

b.Scottsbluff, NB;  Nov. 1973

HARLEY VINCENT HELLE, 16g (Sheldon 15, George A.

14, Frederick 13)

b.Fairfield, IA;  Oct. 1942

m.2nd - Savanna, IL; Presbyterian Church; 5 Apr. 1980

TERRI LYNN TEMPLE, daughter of Edward E. and Gertrude Helen (Buikema) Temple

b.Davenport, IA;  July 1955

Harley adopted a daughter and had a son in a

previous marriage:

CLARISSA JANE HELLE, 17g

b.Clinton, IA;  Feb. 1969

JAMES FREDERICK HELLE. 17g

b.Monticello, IA;  Aug. 1972

HARLEY VINCENT HELLE graduated from Savanna High School in 1962. When a youngster Harley wanted to do better than his dad who had started off from the hayloft floor on stilts so Harley made stilts tall enough to start off from the mill roof. He was coming across the field when his parents caught sight of him. He thinks he scared them pretty bad, because his dad didn't exaggerate so much in front of him after that.

Harley spent some time on the road as a truck driver with his first cousin, Verle Helle. Verle was in the sleeper when Harley entered the tunnel at Wolf Creek Pass and when inside he hit the air horns. Verle flew from the sleeper to the front seat looking for that train. There wasn't any, of course. and when he realized Harley was the culprit he gave Harley an "earful".

Harley was baptized in August, 1980 and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He is serving in the priesthood of the church. He enjoys antique cars and trucks owning a '54 Dodge and 1950 and 1952 International pickups. He is leaming the management of Savanna Pallett, 'The mill is my dad's life and it has become mine."

In 1980 Harley and TERRI LYNN TEMPLE were married. Terry graduated in 1973 from Fulton High School in Fulton, Illinois. She, too, was baptized and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in August of 1980. She is pianist for the Children's Primary Sunday School and part time Sunday School teacher. She plays organ, gardens, enjoys reading. refunding and cooking. She babysits two or three days a week.

Tern had two children in a previous marriage: AMANDA LYNN (b. 16 June 1974, d. 16 June 1974) and AMY LYNN (b. 9 June 1975, d. 25 Sep. 1975).

JANET LORRAINE HELLE, 16g (Sheldon 15. George A.

14, Frederick 13)

b.Savanna, IL;  Mar. 1948

m.1st - Robert E. Sites, dv.

b.

m.2nd - KENNETH W. MCMUNN, son of Mac and Della McMunn

b.AL;  July 1945

Lorraine and Bob had a son:

KIRK EDWARD SITES, 17g

b. Jan. 1963

d. Apr. 1963

Lorraine and Kenneth are the parents of:

CELESTE HOPE MCMUNN, 17g

b.Rockford. IL;  Dec. 1969

AMBER FAITH MCMUNN, 17g

b.Savanna, IL;  Feb. 1977

PRESTON WAYNE MCMUNN, 17g

b.Savanna, IL;  Sep. 1979

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