“At Christmas Time” is a hand-painted card made by Gerard William “G.W.” Helbling. He most likely made this for his wife, and the Arts & Crafts style suggests it was done in the early 1900s. (Click to enlarge.)
– and all our wonderful Heritage Ramblings blog readers!
Just a quick post to wish all our good readers health, joy, and love this Holiday Season, and always!
Notes, Sources, and References:
More to come in another post about this card painted by G. W. Helbling (1882-1971), likely for his wife, Anna May (Beerbower) Helbling (1881-1954). From the Arts & Crafts style used and knowing their family history, it probably was painted after 1904 when they married and before 1920 or so.
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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.
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:
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!
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.
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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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.
Genealogy always has components of serendipity, even when one really tries to stick to a research or writing plan. This is what happened recently, when a question about membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) led to some new information and connections within our Beerbower ancestors.
The DAR has made documentation of our Revolutionary War veterans a top priority, and they also work with schools and other groups to promote history and patriotism. Women who are interested in joining DAR must research and prove relationships to an ancestor who,
“with unfailing loyalty, rendered material aid to the cause of Independence”
DAR provides some of their genealogical materials to non-members researching their family history. (Thank you, DAR!)
Today is Veterans Day in the United States, when we honor all those who have served our country to create and preserve our democracy. This story includes four ties to Veterans Day: Elsie Janis, a cousin who became a DAR member and served our country in war though not as a member of the military; her British fiancé Basil Hallam, who died while serving in World War I; her husband Gilbert Wilson, who served in the Army in World War II; and the ancestor to Elsie and to the St. Louis Helbling branch and various Beerbowers, Caspar Beerbower/Bierbrauer, who served in the militia during the Revolutionary War. Elsie joined the DAR on Casper Bierbower’s record.
Because this story grew the more it was researched, this will need to be a multi-post narrative. The connections are wonderful through the years, however, so we hope you will enjoy reading. We will start with one of the persons who made “us” possible, our direct ancestor Caspar Bierbrauer (Bierbrauer, Beerbower, Bierbower, Beerbrower, etc.).
It is believed that Casper Bierbauer was born in 1736, possibly in Westerwald, Schaumburg, Niedersachsen, Germany, but this needs more research to verify. Also needing more research is exactly when he came to the American colonies, but a number of sources state it was 1752, when he was 16. He came with his father, Johann Jacob Bierbrauer (1705-1760), and possibly his mother Annae Christiannae Sonderhausen (although we do not know for sure if she made the voyage, since so little was recorded of women’s lives). His siblings made the trip as well. They were a part of the largest wave of German immigration to Pennsylvania, from about 1749-1754. Constant wars in the German principalities, a need there for young men for military service (Casper was about that age), and reports of America being a paradise were some of the reasons that whole families immigrated to the colonies.
When Casper was about 29 he married Elizabeth Ashenfelter (~1740-1821). They may have lived in Chester County, Pennsylvania in the 1760s and 1770s, as a Casper Bierbower witnessed a will there on September 29, 1766, and another record states a Casper Bierbower had 100 acres, 1 horse, and 1 head of cattle in the county in 1770. There are also records for Chester County with a Casper Beerbower (with various creative spellings) being taxed there in Pikeland in 1762, 1764, 1765, and 1766; in E. Whiteland in 1767 and 1768, and 1771 in Vincent, all in Chester County.
The Revolutionary War started in 1775 when Casper was 39, and continued through 1783. Casper signed the Pennsylvania Commonwealth’s ‘Oath of Allegiance and Fidelity’ on May 16, 1778, declaring his loyalty to the revolution, rather than to the king. He may have signed this eagerly, but would have known that what he was doing would be considered an act of treason by the king, if the rebels lost.
Casper signed that Oath in York County, Pennsylvania, so he and Elizabeth were living there by that date. He also paid tax in York’s Dover Township in 1780, and again in 1781 and 1783.
In May of 1779, as the Revolution raged on, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania required:
” a true and exact list of the names and surnames of each and every male white person usually inhabiting or residing within your Township, between the ages of Eighteen and fifty-three years, Capable of bearing arms.”
Certain persons were exempted from the list, including delegates in Congress or members of the Executive Council, faculty of colleges, Supreme Court judges, Ministers of the Gospel, and purchased servants (white, Indian, or black). (Possibly half of German immigrants came as indentured servants, or ‘redemptioners’ who could not afford passage so had to work off the cost in service, often with cruel masters.)
Male farmers, craftsmen, merchants, and others from the towns and sparse rural areas of the county were thus required to serve the Revolutionary cause when needed. Older citizens, like Casper Beerbower, could perform duties that freed up the younger for the more strenuous marching and battles.
At age 45, on December 8, 1781, Casper’s enlistment as a Private began in Captain John McMaster’s Company of the York militia. “Casper Beerbrower” was listed on John McMaster’s payroll from this date until February 8th, 1782.
The York Militia was stationed at Camp Security, an American camp for prisoners-of-war, from July 1781-May 1782. After Casper’s arrival, it was recorded in John McMaster’s log:
” Camp Security, 24th, Dec., 1781.
This is to certify that Casper Bierbower of the 7th Class of York County Militia hath put up his part of the Stockade and is hereby discharged.
Jno. McMaster, Capt.”
While much safer than being on the battlefield or a large camp filled with diseases like smallpox, Casper’s work was still hard labor. Logs would be felled, the ends shaped to a point, and a hand-dug trench was created around the camp. The logs would then need to be raised, with the pointed end up, and fitted tightly side-by-side. Then the men would have backfilled the trench, tamping the earth down to hold the logs in place. Gates, platforms near the top for observation and shooting, etc., would have also needed to be built.
Camp Security was one of many prisoner camps that were located in Pennsylvania. (A McMurray ancestor, Henry Horn, was a Hessian soldier captured at Trenton and taken to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.) Camp Security was built in the summer of 1781 on a 280 acre farm that had been confiscated. A stockade as well as living quarters were erected by the militia. British General Burgoyne’s troops, captured at Saratoga, New York, in 1777, had originally been housed in Maryland or Virginia. When battles moved closer to those areas, the prisoners were moved- in 1781, to Camp Security in York County.
George Washington’s decisive Seige of Yorktown, with the assistance of French troops, began September 28, 1781. More than two weeks later, on October 19th, General Lord Charles Cornwallis and more than 7,000 of his troops surrendered. Cornwallis, however, was quite ungentlemanly and refused to attend the surrender ceremony. He may have realized that with this battle, the Americans had likely gained their independence from Britain.
Rough translation: “Surrender of the British army of Lord Cornwallis to the combined armies of the United States of America and France commanded by Generals George Washington and Rochambeau at Yorktown and Gloucester, October 19, 1781.” via Wikimedia, public domain.
The Americans had a new problem though- they had thousands of British prisoners to house. (Officers went free after parole.)
Note the dates- Casper helped build the stockade in December of 1781, so it was likely they were adding to the size of the camp to house the new Yorktown prisoners. The Burgoyne troops were still at Camp Security, but the new prisoners, privates and non-commissioned officers, were moved to Camp Security in the early months of 1782; the York Militia, Casper’s friends and neighbors, acted as guards for much of that year. Some of the more trust-worthy prisoners, such as officers and their families, lived in huts in a small village nearby. Many prisoners received passes to work locally for farmers and merchants, which helped to provide needed articles of clothing, bedding, and even food, and aided the locals since much of their population was off fighting the war. The troops of Cornwallis were a much higher escape risk than the Burgoyne prisoners,, so the new men were confined to the stockade. Estimates of the total number of prisoners varies, but it may have been around 3,000 in York County alone.
Like in so many crowded camps, a wave of fever ran through, killing many inhabitants. Once the war was over in spring of 1783, British prisoners returned to their homeland or were given land in Canada (by the British) for their service. The stockade and Camp Security was abandoned, but is now an archaeological and historical site.
And our ancestor Casper Bierbower? After “render[ing] material aid to the cause of Independence” at Camp Security, he and Elizabeth continued to reside in York County, Pennsylvania. They were enumerated in the first census of the United States, in 1790, with one male over 16 (presumably Casper), and 1 under 16, which could be Casper Bierbower Jr. or their youngest son, John Bierbower; three females lived in the household as well. Tax records suggest the family farmed, although we do not know if they owned the land, as one record over these years stated it was rented.
For the 1800 US Federal census, Casper and Elizabeth (likely) are found in Warrington, York County, Pennsylvania. Casper would have been 64 that year, Elizabeth 60, with their children grown and on their own. We can infer this since they were the only people listed in the household in 1800, both over 45 years of age.
Elizabeth died July 16th, 1821 in Warrington, York County, Pennsylvania per some sources but we have not found any reliable record for that date nor place. Casper, and possibly Elizabeth, may have moved after 1800 as we do not find them again in York County, Pennsylvania. Their sons Henry Bierbower and Casper Bierbower, Jr. lived in Washington County, Maryland, so a move there would be logical as the couple aged. On October 28th, 1820, a man listed as “Casper Beerbrougher” was listed in the 1820 US Federal Census for Hancock, Washington County, Maryland. There is one male listed as 26-45 years old, and one listed as older than 45; this could be Casper Jr., who would have been 38 that year, and Casper Sr., who would have been 84. There is no woman listed as being over 45 years old, so this suggests that Elizabeth had actually died by that date, not the year later, in 1821. There are young children in this household of nine, so this could be an instance when Casper as a widower was being cared for in his old age by his son, daughter-in-law, and his grandchildren. Casper died sometime in 1822.
We thank Casper for his service to our democracy.
Next: Elsie Janis, two of the men in her life, and her service during wartime.
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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 2013-2020 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.
Anna May (Beerbower) Helbling as a young woman, possibly high school aged? The art around her portrait was drawn by the man she married, Gerard William “G. W.” Helbling. (Click to enlarge.)
Today is the anniversary of the death of Anna May (Beerbower) Helbling, who left her beloved and loving family on November 9th, 1954.
Anna May was born on 26 May 1881 in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Anna Missouri (Springsteen) Beerbower (1854-1939), and Edgar Pater Beerbower (1849-1916), their fourth of five children. She married Gerard William “G.W.” Helbling (1882-1971) on 24 Nov 1904.
Focusing on her as a young woman, full of joy and sweetness, is something that she would be happy about. So here are a few pictures of May, as her loving “G.W.” called her.
Anna May Beerbower (later Helbling) as a teen?, possibly c1890 as she was born in 1881.
There are many family pictures that have been glued to a heavy pasteboard that have amazingly survived over 110 years! This is one of those compositions:
Gerard William “G.W.” Helbling in center with Anna May (Beerbower) Helbling in pictures surrounding. The pictures were pasted on a heavy posterboard. These are probably from around 1900, since she was born in 1881, although the left picture and bottom two may be a bit later.
Notes, Sources, and References:
Family treasure chest of photos.
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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 2013-2020 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.
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.
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:
When scanning photo albums, it is important to scan the whole page, in addition to individual photos, in order to maintain the context.
Look critically at all that is on the page to ensure that any date or caption is truly attached to any one picture.
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.
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.