Delbert and Nellie


DELBERT VERNON HELLE, 15g (George A. 14, Fre-
derick 13)
b.Smithfield, IL; Mar. 1907
m.Springfield, IL;  Jan. 1932
NELLIE ADELAIDE HAYES, daughter of Fred
Harry and Ada Lee (Jackson) Hayes
b.Smithfield, IL;  Feb. 1912
DELBERT VERNON HELLE, the fourth son born to
George A. and Ida (Kaler) Helle, remained in the sawmill
business all his life and established Sawmill Hydraulics, Inc.,
Farmington, Illinois. He considers 25 January 1932 as the
most important day in his life when he married a wonderful
girl.
Four days old when Grandfather Frederick Helle died,
Delbert remembers well Grandmother Katharine Helie: "She
always stood tall and straight and was always busy." During
the first ten years of their marriage, Delbert and Nellie moved
thirteen times; usually in a farm house near the sawmill.
Nellie recalls: "We had running water in only two homes
before our present home. I have drawn water from a well with
a bucket, dipped it from a spring and a few times had a pump
at a sink in the house. However, I never had to wash clothes
on a washboard. Our most unusual home was a twenty - four
foot square cabin beside the Mississippi River in Joe Daviess
County, Illinois, in 1935 - 36. The weather was thirty - five
degrees below zero for a few days and we had a lot of snow.
Delbert, Walter and Sheldon were cutting big timbers for the
mats under the big shovel at Midland Coal Company. On one
bitter cold night Verle and Gene came up to do some lumber
hauling. To be sure they would sleep warm enough, we put
scatter rugs from the floor on top of the covers.
"We learned the hard way not to believe "old - timers"'
high water marks. Our cabin was built above the mark of the
highest previous flood and when the spring flood reached its
crest, only the three chimney tops were visible. We never
went back.
"The death of our four parents was to be expected in life,
Mr. and Mrs. Delbert Helle (Nellie Adelaide Hayes); January 1957.
but we did not expect to lose our daughter when she was only
nineteen years old. We had no control over that, just the
heartache. With that one exception we have had a good life,
not an easy one, but a loving and caring one."
The hydraulic sawmill invented and patented by Delbert
has been installed in over half of the states, including Alaska
and Hawaii (where brother, Gene, lived for a number of
years), Canada, Guyana and New Guinea.

Their eight children are:
GORDON WAYNE HELLE, 16g
b. Canton, IL;  Sep. 1932
LAWRENCE JAMES HELLE, 16g
b. Peoria, IL;  Aug. 1934
MAURICE CARL HELLE, 16g
b. Kickapoo IL;  Oct. 1936
ADAJUNE HELLE, 16g
b. Oak Hill, IL;  Mar. 1938
JOANN KATHLEEN HELLE, 16g
b. Oak Hill, IL;  Feb. 1940
PHYLLIS FERN HELLE, 16g
b. Oak Hill, IL;  July 1941
d.Chicago, IL;  Aug. 1960
br. Farmington, IL; Farmington, Cemetery
VERIE EDWIN HELLE, 16g
b. Peoria, IL;  Feb. 1943
DWIGHT EVERAL HELLE, 16g
b. Peoria, IL;  May 1944
======================================================================

My parents by Dwight Helle 16th generation


=====================================================================

"We Remember ..
Nancy (Courtney) Potts, granddaughter
My Grandpa Helle knows so many things it is hard to
imagine them all. He has never stopped learning; always read-
ing. My Grandma Helle took in this soaking wet, muddy to
the skin detasseling crew foreman, across her clean carpeting,
helped peel my clothes off, set me in a tub to soak and called
my second job to let them know I was too miserable to come
in. Then she fixed me a warm meal and tucked me into bed
letting me sleep until the next morning.


Gail Helle, Brother
Delbert always had time for me and always made me feel
important. All guys have to have an older pal and he was it. I
could tell him my tales of woes and he would listen. He must
have really liked kids. That must be why the good Lord saw
that he had the most. I also remember Delbert tinkering with
his homemade radios and his interest in electricity.


Debra (Helle) Nagunst, granddaughter
I always enjoyed listening to Grandfather Delbert Helle
play his fiddle. I will always remember spending Christmas
with Grandma and Grandpa and Grandma's divinity candy.


GORDON WAYNE HELLE, 16g (Delbert 15, George A.
14, Frederick 13)
b.Canton, IL;  Sep. 1932
m. Sep. 1951
VIOLA JANET ROCK, daughter of Frank 0. and
Helen M. (Swihart) Rock
b.Poplar, MT;  Jan. 1934
Gordon and Viola are the parents of:
RAYMOND ALAN HELLE, 17g
b.Canton, IL;  July 1952
PAUL WAYNE HELLE, 17g
b.Canton, IL;  Jan. 1956



RAYMOND ALAN HELLE, 17g (Gordon 16, Delbert 15,
George A. 14, Frederick 13)
b.Canton, IL;  July 1952
m.Maplewood, Mo;  Mar. 1974
TAMARA EMMA MAGDALENA KUENKEL,
daughter of Wolfgang and Use (Luedke) Kuenkel
b.Weilheim, Germany;  Mar. 1951
Raymond and Tamara have two children:
TIFFANY HELLE, 18g
b.St. Louis, MO;  June 1976
ANDREW HELLE, 18g
b.St. Louis, MO;  Jan. 1978



PAUL WAYNE HELLE, 17g (Gordon 16, Delbert 15,
George A. 14, Frederick 13)
b.Canton, IL;  Jan. 1956
m.Prairie City, IL;  June 1983
SUSAN LOUISE POLAND, daughter of Lyle Dean
and Louise Elsie (Hudson) Poland
b.Decatur, IL;  Dec. 1954
Paul and Susan have a daughter:
ELIZABETH LOUISE HELLE, 18g
b.Avon, IL; Oct. 1984
LAWRENCE JAMES HELLE, 16g (Delbert 15, George A.
14, Frederick 13)
b.Peoria, IL;  Aug. 1934

m.1st - Petersburg, IL;  June 1954; dv.  Nov. 1980
SHERRY M. KERR, daughter of George and Hazel - Pearl (Galbraith) Kerr
b. Canton, IL; 28 Dec. 1937
     m.2nd - Farmington, IL; 4 Apr. 1981
LUCILLE LINDAUER, daughter of Richard and Virginia (Acton) Lindauer
b.Dale, IN;  May 1953
Lawrence and Sherry are the parents of:
RANDY HELLE, 1 7g
b.Oregon, IL;  Feb. 1955
DEBRA JEAN HELLE, 17g
b.Peoria, IL;  Feb. 1956
TERRY LYNN HELLE, 1 7g
b.Canton, IL;  Aug. 1959
WENDY LEIGH HELLE, 17g
b.Canton, IL;  Jan. 1961
JOHN DELBERT HELLE, 17g
b.Council Bluffs, IA;  June 1966
Lawrence and Lucille are the parents of:
APRIL ROSE HELLE, 17g
b.Jacksonville, IL; Nov. 1981
CHRISTINA HELLE, 17g
b.Jacksonville, IL;  Feb. 1984
d.Jacksonville, IL;  Feb. 1984
br. Jacksonville, IL;


DEBRA JEAN HELLE, 17g (Lawrence 16, Delbert 15,
George A. 14, Frederick 13)
b.Canton, IL;  Feb. 1956
m.Council Bluffs, IA;  Feb. 1975





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