SHELDON LYLE HELLE. 15g (George A. 14, Frederick 13)
b. 25 Nov 1913; Cuba, IL
m. 11 May 1935 in Palmyra, Missouri HAZEL NELLE HENDRICK, daughter of Frederick Vincent and Nelle M. (Ault) Hendrick
b. 19 July 1914; Wyoming, IL; d. 15 July 1989; Clinton, IA
d. 25 Jan 1997; Savanna, IL
br. Savanna Township Cemetery; Savanna, IL
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 first 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. 15 March 1936; Peoria, IL
d. 07 Sept 1956; Lanark, IL
THELMA LOUISE HELLE, 16g
b. 14 Sept 1941; Savanna, IL
HARLEY VINCENT HELLE, 16g
b. 30 Oct 1942; Fairfield, IA
JANET LORRAINE HELLE, 16g
b. 30 March 1946; Savanna, IL
d. 19 July 2009; Dixon, IL
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."
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''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!
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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.
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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.
b. 25 Nov 1913; Cuba, IL
m. 11 May 1935 in Palmyra, Missouri HAZEL NELLE HENDRICK, daughter of Frederick Vincent and Nelle M. (Ault) Hendrick
b. 19 July 1914; Wyoming, IL; d. 15 July 1989; Clinton, IA
d. 25 Jan 1997; Savanna, IL
br. Savanna Township Cemetery; Savanna, IL
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 first 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. 15 March 1936; Peoria, IL
d. 07 Sept 1956; Lanark, IL
THELMA LOUISE HELLE, 16g
b. 14 Sept 1941; Savanna, IL
HARLEY VINCENT HELLE, 16g
b. 30 Oct 1942; Fairfield, IA
JANET LORRAINE HELLE, 16g
b. 30 March 1946; Savanna, IL
d. 19 July 2009; Dixon, IL
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.
