A Christmas Eve Gift of Love: G.W. Helbling to Anna May Beerbower Helbing, 1916

 

Cover of a Christmas card from G. W. Helbling to his wife, Anna May (Beerbower) Helbling, Dec. 24, 1916. (Click to enlarge.)

Helbling Family, Beerbower Family (Click for Family Tree)

As many are ‘wrapping up’ their holiday shopping today, one of our ancestors helps to put gift-giving into a different light.

Gerard William “G.W.” Helbling (1882-1971) was a talented artist as well as a very loving husband. He married Anna “May” Beerbower (1881-1954) on November 24th, 1904.

Drawings done by Gerard William “G.W.” Helbling as frames for pictures of himself and the love of his life, Anna May (Beerbower) Helbling. They both appear to be pretty young- maybe high school age? (Click to enlarge.)

G. W. had a sign painting business during his younger years and then again in later years of his life. He also made beautiful cards, paintings, and even scrapbooks for his grandchildren. Within all he painted for family, his love came through, most especially in those treasures for his dear wife.

It would be wonderful to have the color version of G.W.’s card so that we could better tell if it was a manufactured card (the flower section does look pre-printed) or if he had painted part of the image; we also do not know what was inside the card or on the back of it. We are, however, grateful to have this black and white copy of the card front, and the letter inside, from an early, miraculous contraption called a “Xerox machine.” (Introduced in 1959, these copiers were not widely available for individual use for another 5-10 years, and copies were expensive when one was finally located.)

What was the Helbling family tradition as far as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and gift giving? Devout Catholics, it is likely they attended a Christmas Eve church service and again another on Christmas morn. Did the two exchange their own gifts within the sweet adult quiet later on Christmas Eve, when the children were in bed, or wait until the morning when their children, 8 year-old Edgar Bradley Helbling (1908-1994), 5 year old Anna “May” Helbling, later Reilly (1911-1985), and 3 year old Viola Gertrude Helbling, later Carrigan (1913-1971), would excitedly unwrap a gift or two stashed under the decorated tree? Perhaps they waited until the children were engrossed in their new toys and then G.W. and May could share a moment together.

From left: Vi Helbling, May Helbling, and Edgar Helbling, in front of their home at 5136 Page in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 14, 1917. (Click to enlarge.)

G. W., or “Dard” as May called him, would have handed this envelope sweetly to his beloved wife:

Envelope from a Christmas card and letter from G.W. Helbling to his wife, Anna May (Beerbower) Helbling, Christmas Eve, 1916. (Click to enlarge.)

“Merry Christmas

to my dear pal”

May would have pulled the card out of the envelope, feasting on the beautiful card that was a gift in itself.

Inside the card was something even more precious- a sweet letter detailing G.W.’s gift for Anna:

A Christmas letter/gift from G.W. Helbling to his “darling wife” Anna May (Beerbower) Helbling, Christmas Eve, 1916. (Click to enlarge.)

Here is a transcription of the letter:

G. W. HELBLING

LONG DISTANCE                            UNDERTAKER                       KINLOCH, DELMAR
PHONE                       LICENSED        EMBALMER                      2518-J
MOTOR AND CARRIAGE SERVICE
3930 ST. LOUIS AVE.
ST. LOUIS

                                                                          Christmas Eve 1916

                      My darling wife: ~
I’m wishing you another
Merry Christmas, of the many happy
years we have spent together, I
am bringing to you nothing that
could be less customary as a gift
at such a time, but a gift that
I feel will better suffice to show
my love for you, and the tenderness
and protection which it is ever my
one thought to surround you with.

Living, I love you, and beyond-
thus it is that my Christmas greeting
to you this year will be an additional
$1000. Insurance policy in your name.

Again, dear pal. Merry Christmas
and happy New Year.

always your
Dard

The family did not have much income for holiday presents and even daily expenses, but G.W. knew that the cost of a life insurance policy would help to provide peace of mind for the unthinkable- his death. Working as an undertaker at that time would have likely influenced him to choose his “less customary” gift. The policy was one of the best gifts he could give his wife, especially as their family grew. What a loving husband!

 

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. Family treasure chest of photos and ephemera. It is unknown where this copy came from, or where the original is today. If someone reading this has the original, we would love it if you would share a color copy, and let us know more about the card itself. Thanks in advance!
  2. G. W. Helbling was sometimes listed instead as William Gerard Helbling, especially in his earlier years. His paternal side was German, and in many German families it was very common for a person to use their middle name on a daily basis, rather than their first given name.
  3. Thankfully May never had to use the insurance policy (unless they cashed it in) as G.W. survived to father three more children with her (their first child had died in infancy). Anna May passed away in 1954, and G.W. lived another 17 years.

 

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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.

Original content copyright 2013-2021 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly, i.e, reference this blog.
 Please contact us if you have any questions about the copyright or use of “Heritage Ramblings” blog material.



Our Ancestors Lived through Pandemics Too: 1918 and the Springsteen-Beerbower-Helbling Family

About 1911- Edgar P. Beerbower and Anna Missouri (Springsteen) Beerbower with their grandchildren. Edgar Helbling is standing and Anna is holding baby Anna May Helbling (later Reilly).

Springsteen Family, Beerbower Family, Helbling Family (Click for Family Trees)

[If you are descended from Anna May (Beerbower) Helbling (1881-1954) and Gerard W. “G.W.” Helbling (1882-1971) of St. Louis, Missouri, these are your ancestors!]

As tough as our times are today with the Covid-19 (Corona virus) pandemic, we have ancestors who lived through pandemics too. Their smart thinking, the fact that they (probably) followed the directions of the experts at that time, and their good genes as well as perseverance helped them get through those difficult times. Love of their family was probably a big factor too!

Let’s go back to 1918, and the “Spanish Flu” outbreak. There are plenty of references to learn more about this pandemic, including a PBS documentary, “Influenza 1918.” Let’s explore a bit about our family in particular.

Our Springsteen family had a number of members who were likely living in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1918.  Jefferson Springsteen (1820-1909) and his wife, Anna (Conner) Springsteen (1824-1887) had lived there from about 1853. They had eight children, one of whom died as an infant and two sons who died prior to 1918. Their daughter Anna Missouri (Springsteen) Beerbower, mother of Anna May Helbling, may have been living in Indianapolis, as she had been born there and moved back a couple of times, her husband had passed away there in 1916, and we cannot find her listed in the 1920 Federal Census in any state. Anna’s sister Mary Elizabeth (Springsteen) Beckwith had been widowed- probably actually divorced- and was living with her daughter’s family in New York in 1915, but had moved back to Indianapolis by the 1920 census. Their younger brother, Abram Springsteen, “the youngest drummer boy of the Civil War” as the family lore called him, could also have been in Indianapolis, as he married there in 1912 but then was enumerated in the 1920 census in Washington, D.C. Their youngest brother, Robert E. Springsteen (1857-1931), is the only sibling that we know for sure was living in Indianapolis in 1918, but the others may have been there.

We are looking at Indianapolis, Indiana because there is an excellent article just published on the Indiana History blog about life there during the 1918 epidemic. “Coping with Quarantine in a Pre-Digital Era” is a great read that details how people spent their time during the 1918 quarantine. The information in the article would also probably apply to a large portion of the United States back then. The kids were out of school, it was a Congressional election year, and the economics and boredom of stay-at-home orders were challenging to all. The cause of the disease was unknown, there were no treatments nor vaccines for it, and the death toll in the US and around the world was staggering. (Any of this sound familiar?) The US was in the midst of World War I too, putting additional pressure on the people and government to keep going.

Anna Mae (Beerbower) Helbling and Gerard William “G.W.” Helbling, probably in St. Louis, Missouri, around 1925.

St. Louis, Missouri is another city to mention here, as Anna May (Beerbower) Helbling, daughter of Anna Missouri and Edgar P. Beerbower, lived there. With her husband Gerard William “G.W.” Helbling, she had three children living then: Edgar Bradley Helbling (1908-1994), Anna May Helbling (later Reilly) (1911-1985), and Viola Gertrude Helbling (later Carrigan) (1913-1971). Anna was expecting their fourth child, Robert Harvey Helbling (1918-2001), as the flu began, and “Bob” was born in August.

World War I was using Liberty Loan bonds to help finance the war, and a huge parade was held on September 28, 1918 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is estimated 200,000 people filled the streets to cheer on those in the parade and the war effort. Unfortunately the “Spanish Flu,” which had already attacked military bases and soldiers starting around March of 1918, was unknowingly present in the crowds as well. It only took 72 hours to fill all the beds in the city’s hospitals, and within a week, 2,600 civilians had died. One week later, the city’s death toll was 4,500. The city was short of doctors and nurses, as so many were in military service due to the War.  With no antibiotics nor vaccines at that time, and health care workers using gauze facemasks that had holes large enough to allow most microorganisms through, containment was challenging. Philadelphia finally shut down schools and businesses, but they had waited too late- they could not keep the virus in check. (The 1918 flu was an H1N1 virus of avian origin, so not exactly like today’s corona virus, but still very virulent and hard to contain.)

Thankfully, Anna May and G.W. Helbling and their children were living in St. Louis at that time. It must have been frightening to have small children, including a newborn, as they read the newspapers and saw how the flu was raging across the country, and the world. (Their first child had died as an infant so they must have been very fearful.) The St. Louis city health commissioner was alarmed by the flu activity in the influenza hotspots of Boston and Philadelphia, and toward the end of September 1918, he knew that it would only be a matter of time before the “Spanish Flu” was seen in the Gateway City. He proactively set up a monitoring system, cancelled a Liberty Loan drive, educated the public through articles in the newspaper on how to prepare and avoid the flu, and once cases were being reported, he helped to get a public health emergency declared. Dr. Max C. Starkloff was then given more authority and closures of entertainment, schools, and churches were implemented by October 9th, with public gatherings banned. Those with medical knowledge worked with the city government to minimize any foothold in the community that the flu might gain. As cases of influenza increased, although at a much slower rate than in Philadelphia, St. Louis business hours were cut and then non-essential businesses and factories were closed to further protect citizens. (And yes, business owners and politicians were understandably worried about the economic impact to themselves, their city, and the country.) When restrictions were gradually lifted in mid-December because case numbers had diminished, new illnesses and deaths spiked in a second wave. Eventually, case numbers stayed low and removal of restrictions on December 28, 1918, added some joy to a difficult holiday season.

Death toll of Philadelphia vs St. Louis in 1918 Influenza Epidemic. Closures began Oct. 8th in St. Louis, and the comparison between the St. Louis curve and that of Pittsburgh, where schools, entertainment, and churches were not closed, is striking. “Public health interventions and epidemic intensity during the 1918 influenza pandemic,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Richard J. Hatchett, et al, 2007.

St. Louis is lauded as a city that looked into the future, followed medical advice, and quickly acted for the good of their citizens. What we now call “social distancing” helped to keep the city’s death toll to the sixth lowest in the country; Indianapolis was one of the five cities that had an even lower mortality rate, helping to save our family there. The graph above shows clearly the effect that physical distancing, done early and across the board, can have in an epidemic. This data has been studied by epidemiologists and will hopefully be heeded by governmental bodies and citizens to “flatten the curve” and reduce illness and deaths in our current pandemic. Implementing the 1918 tactics of St. Louis in 2020 can still buy us time for development of treatments and vaccines, and for ramping up manufacturing of materials needed for protection and treatment of patients and staff. The above graphs show that when strict measures are put in place early, the illnesses and deaths are much less than in places that have waited until the virus is rampant.

We are now experiencing in our day-to-day lives some of what our ancestors went through in those days of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic. Knowing that they survived through “social distancing” and the economic pain that ensued can help us have resilience and faith that we too can make it through this.

 

BTW, if you have a little extra time on your hands, the references below can be interesting reading. Reference #4 and #10 are particularly good, quick, and not terrifying. They also may give some comfort knowing that a whole lot of folks got to the other side despite not having the technology and scientific advances we have today. And while you are reading, think about how the ancestors only had newspapers, neighbors, local storekeepers and postal carriers to spread news. Sadly they also carried germs, but at least we have a better understanding of that today.

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. “Influenza 1918” on ‘American Experience’ on PBS. May be viewed online at https://www.pbs.org/video/american-experience-influenza-1918/

  2. “Have Americans forgotten the history of this deadly flu?” https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/have-americans-forgotten-the-history-of-this-deadly-flu

  3. Anna Missouri (Springsteen) Beerbower lived with Anna May and GW Helbling in St. Louis possibly in the 1920s, and it is known she was there in the 1930s. We do have pictures of her there before the 1920s, but do not know if she was visiting or living there.
  4. “Coping with Quarantine in a Pre-Digital Era”
    https://blog.history.in.gov/coping-with-quarantine-in-a-pre-digital-era/. Thank you, Dick Eastman, for featuring this article in your wonderful newsletter.: https://blog.eogn.com/2020/04/03/coping-with-quarantine-in-a-pre-digital-era/
  5. Anna May (Beerbower) Helbling and G. W. Helbling had two more children after the pandemic: William G. “Bill” Helbling (1920-2018) and Mary Theresa Helbling (later McMurray) (1925-2008).
  6. “Philadelphia Threw a WWI Parade That Gave Thousands of Onlookers the Flu”  https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/philadelphia-threw-wwi-parade-gave-thousands-onlookers-flu-180970372/
  7. “The Spanish influenza of 1918 in St. Louis, Missouri.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16961567

  8. “The American Influenza Epidemic of 1918-1919: St. Louis, Missouri” https://www.influenzaarchive.org/cities/city-stlouis.html#

  9. “Public health interventions and epidemic intensity during the 1918 influenza pandemic.” Richard J. Hatchett, et al, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, May 1,2007. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0610941104
  10. “This chart of the 1918 Spanish flu shows why social distancing works” by Michael J. Coren, March 11, 2020, Quartz. https://qz.com/1816060/a-chart-of-the-1918-spanish-flu-shows-why-social-distancing-works/
  11. “1918 Pandemic” https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-pandemic-h1n1.html

 

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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.

Original content copyright 2013-2019 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly, i.e, reference this blog.
 Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright or use of our blog material.



Wordless Wednesday: Wrabbits and G. W. Helbling

G. W. Helbling with his son Edgar and their pet rabbits, about 1919 in their backyard in St. Louis, Missouri. The young girl could be his daughter (Anna) May Helbling, who would have been about 8 in 1919, or Viola G. Helbling who would have been about 5 in 1919. Edgar was about 11. (Click to enlarge.)

Helbling Family (Click for Family Tree)

[Those of us ‘of an age’ will remember cartoons and commercials with ‘rabbit’ pronounced more like it is spelled above; seems like as kids a lot of us said it that way too. And it alliterates better with “Wordless Wednesday.” Sorry.]

G. W. Helbling with his rabbits Bill & Gicky, May 1923. (Click to enlarge.)

G. W. Helbling with his pet rabbit, about 1934. (Click to enlarge.)

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. Family treasure chest of Helbling photo albums.

 

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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.

Original content copyright 2013-2018 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly, i.e, reference this blog.
 Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright or use of our blog material.



Tuesday’s Tip: Assess Accuracy of Photo Captions-Springsteen-Beerbower and Helbling Families

Anna Missouri (Springsteen) Beerbower holding her granddaughters Viola G. Helbling on left in picture, and Anna “May” Helbing on right in picture. Grandson Edgar B. Helbling stands at attention in front of his grandmother. From same page as “Easter 1914” pictures in Helbling family album.

Helbling Family, Springsteen Family, Beerbower Family (Click for Family Tree)

Tuesday’s Tip: Assess the accuracy of photo captions by looking at clothes, backgrounds, hairstyles, age of subjects, etc. in all the pictures on one page. Images that have too many differences may not actually be ‘attached’ to a date or caption nearby.

Yesterday’s post, “Matrilineal Monday: Easter, 1914 with the Helblings,” included an image that had “Easter 1914” written on it by Anna “May” (Beerbower) Helbling. The scan of the whole page is important to see how /where the date is written and the relationship to other photos.

“Easter 1914” page, from Helbling Family Album.

Unless the little ones changed out of their Easter best clothes, the picture of Anna Missouri (Springsteen) Beerbower with her grandchildren may have been taken on another date. The children look a bit older, too.

Those ‘of an age’ to remember putting pictures in a photo album, may also recall just adding a picture in here and there, if there was space.

Anna Missouri (Springsteen) Beerbower holding the hands of her granddaughters Viola G. Helbling (second from left in picture), and Anna “May” Helbing (on right in picture). Grandson Edgar B. Helbling stands at far left. From same page as “Easter 1914” pictures in Helbling family album.

This second picture was possibly on another page, but does seem to be the same time as the first picture of Anna Missouri and her grandchildren. Her clothing looks more like a robe than a dress, so it does seem to be a different day than Easter Sunday.

Knowing a bit of history helps- or muddies the analysis- when assessing a photo too. In April of 1914, the world still had some of the innocence seen in the Easter Sunday images of yesterday’s post. By August of that year, Europe had become embroiled in World War I; the United States would join the fight in 1917. Were Edgar’s homemade ‘swords,’ wooden ‘rifle,’ and play reflecting the world at war in later 1914? Or was it typical boy’s play? If we knew the answer, it would help us to better date the photos.

Three more important tips:

  1. When scanning photo albums, it is important to scan the whole page, in addition to individual photos, in order to maintain the context.
  2. Look critically at all that is on the page to ensure that any date or caption is truly attached to any one picture.
  3. When writing about the image, or adding a caption to the photo, be careful about the wording if there is a question as to the date. Note the above captions do not actually state the date, but only the date listed on the page where they were found.

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. Helbling Family Photo Album.
  2. “Matrilineal Monday: Easter, 1914 with the Helblings”– http://heritageramblings.net/2018/04/02/matrilineal-monday-easter-1914-with-the-helblings/

 

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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.
 

Original content copyright 2013-2017 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly.
 Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright or use of our blog material.

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Matrilineal Monday: Easter, 1914 with the Helblings

“Easter 1914” Anna “May” (Beerbower) Helbling and her children, Edgar B. Helbling (right), Anna “May” Helbling (standing on left), and baby Viola G. Helbling on 12 Apr 1914. From Helbling Family Album. (Click to enlarge.)

 

Helbling Family (Click for Family Tree)

Easter came very early this year (and on April Fool’s Day since it was April 1st!), but in 1914 Easter Sunday was on April 12th. The Helbling family would have dressed in their very best clothes for the special Catholic church service. They later enjoyed their Easter baskets on the porch of their home, likely at 4927 St. Louis Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri.

“Easter 1914” Anna “May” (Beerbower) Helbling and her children, Edgar B. Helbling (right), little Anna “May” Helbling standing in back, and Viola G. Helbling (baby) on 12 Apr 1914. From Helbling Family Album. (Click to enlarge.)

These pictures are so sweet and innocent!

“Easter 1914” Edgar B. Helbling and “May” Helbling on 12 Apr 1914. From Helbling Family Album.  (Click to enlarge.)

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. The 1914 St. Louis City Directory lists “Helbling Gerard W. with Ellis Undertaking Co 727 King’s Highway boul [boulevard] r[esidence] 4927 St. Louis.”
  2. Helbling Family photo album.

 

Click to enlarge any image. Please contact us if you would like an image in higher resolution.

We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.
 

Original content copyright 2013-2017 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly.
 Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright or use of our blog material.

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