Helbling Family (Click for Family Tree)

with blossoms today!

Queen of the angels,

One lucky girl from the parochial school would be chosen to carry the crown of flowers, and a number of others carried flowers as they walked in the procession. There was a special side altar during the month of May with a most beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary, looking down upon all with her loving, accepting gaze- one could feel the love all around her. A crown of flowers would be placed on her head once the procession of girls arrived at the altar, crowning Mary as “Queen of the May.”

After the Queen was crowned, the other girls in the procession would lay flowers at the feet of the statue. The flowers would be replaced throughout the month so they were always beautiful.

After school, some who were not so lucky to be chosen for the procession would sneak into the church, and lay our little picked clover flower crowns and dandelions at Mary’s feet. The weed flowers never seemed to be there the next day, although the other flowers were. It didn’t matter though- all the little girls not chosen for the procession knew that Mary loved them just as much.

Mary Theresa Helbling was lucky to be chosen as one of the girls in the procession at St. Mark’s Church in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1932, when she was seven. The caption in the family picture album states it was April, so maybe the procession happened on the last day of the month, or the month noted was in error. Either month, it was one of the high points of Mary’s long and faithful life. Even fifty or more years later, she was so very proud to have been chosen to be in the procession.

Having her beloved Virgin Mary to pray to was important throughout Mary’s life. She was proud of being named after the Mother Mary, but did not know that she was named for her great-grandmother as well, Mary Theresa Knipschield Helbling. There were many girls named ‘Maria’ or ‘Mary’ in the Helbling family. That name continued to be passed on through the generations, showing the importance of Our Lady and homage to her throughout the years among Catholic families, including  the May Day ritual.

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) ‘Queen of the Angels” by John McDermott- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7SbG8JCO68

2) May Baskets were another tradition Mary spoke about. Small cones of rolled paper had a handle attached, and they were filled with flowers or sweets. The basket would be left on a door handle of a friend or neighbor, and young men also left them for girls they would like to court. See http://www.npr.org/blogs/npr-history-dept/2015/04/30/402817821/a-forgotten-tradition-may-basket-day

3) Helbling family photo album.

4) Of course, the May Day procession foreshadowed the sacrament of marriage, too, with many of the same trappings. Pun intended with the word ‘trappings’? Not originally, but maybe in a Freudian way. Nevertheless, all good little Catholic girls wanted to get married and have babies, and be a good mother like Our Lady.

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Original content copyright 2013-2015 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Helbling Family

Some would say that family historians/genealogists are obsessed with the dead, and that perspective is somewhat understandable.

Some would say that family historians/genealogists find it hard to stop researching the dead and spend more time on the living- occasionally that is true as well, especially at 2am.

Some would also say it is just weird that family historians/genealogists remember the special days of the dead, such as birthdays, anniversaries, or death dates; that assessment may have some element of truth as well.

It can be argued, however, that the yearning to know more about those who have gone before, to hold them close in one’s heart, is really what drives those who spend countless hours searching for the minutiae of a life. It can be the need to tell an ancestor’s story, so that they are not forgotten; it can be a way to hold on to them just a bit longer, to not let them go “to the other side” just yet, especially for those the family historian has known in this life and loved deeply. It can be a way to not say a final “good bye” so soon, to help a loved one linger in the hearts of others for just a bit longer, too.

Family historians/genealogists also want to understand their inner selves more, to know where this trait or that look came from, and connect themselves to those who have gone before through these commonalities. How can we know our place in the universe without the context of our being?

Sharing the lives of our ancestors is a gift that family historians/genealogists wish to give to their own descendants, their collateral kin, and even the world- history is the story of every life, truly, not just those who fought wars or those who started them.

Becoming a family historian/genealogist is not always a conscious choice- a muse, an inner drive, or even the voices of our ancestors move us to travel along their journeys. We want to leave a legacy of that knowledge for those we love now, and those we will love in the future, even after we are gone.

Family historians/genealogists LOVE, and are a part of the chain of love that is family.

Today we celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Mary Theresa Helbling McMurray, a woman full of love.

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) Family treasure chest of photos.

2) See also, “Sentimental Sunday: Mary Theresa Helbling McMurray“: http://heritageramblings.net/2014/03/16/sentimental-sunday-mary-theresa-helbling-mcmurray/

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Original content copyright 2013-2015 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

➡ Helbling, McMurray Family

I just couldn’t let “Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day” go by because it made me think of Mary McMurray.

First of course, who even knew there was such a day??? Not that we shouldn’t appreciate bubble wrap- it gives lots of people jobs to make it and sell it, and to wrap everything that ever gets mailed or moved. It keeps so many things from breaking, so I will admit a certain admiration for the product and its inventors, Marc A. Chavannes and Al Fielding. Back in 1957 they had devised a three-dimensional wallpaper, but had problems selling it. A trip on a small, propeller airplane caused the light bulb to go on in the head of Chavannes, as it seemed the fluffy clouds were cushioning the bumpy flight. He knew then that their hip wallpaper would be better suited to cushioning products being shipped, and the bubble wrap industry, now manufactured in 52 countries, was begun.

The need for a tactile, satisfying pop of the bubbles was probably realized very soon after, maybe even moments after the first of the bubble wallpaper was produced. Who knew it would also generate crazy things like a wedding dress made of bubble wrap, cameos in movies, a calendar to pop a bubble a day (thankfully, it does have additional bubbles if the user cannot stop at just one), or an app so that folks can pop the virtual bubbles on their computer or mobile device if the real thing is not at hand? There is even a book dedicated to it: The Bubble Wrap Book.

Which leads us to “Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day”- how did that come about? Well, on the last Monday in January, in Bloomington, Indiana some years ago, a radio station received a shipment of new microphones. The broadcast button said “ON” but apparently the staff was unaware. Instead of the rustling sound of unwrapping the microphones, listeners heard the station staff forcefully popping bubbles. Apparently the noise was pretty loud, and of course unexpected; a new commemorative day was born.

While that sound is aggravating to people like me, and I regret the waste of resources because it will no longer function as it was designed, (yes, I am one of those tree-hugger environmentalists, and sometimes it can be recycled but probably is not), science has proven that the popping of bubble wrap can reduce stress and tiredness. (That last one is puzzling.) Bubble wrap can lead to aggression too, as the psychologist who did the study reported that she had seen professional people fight over who gets to pop the sheets of bubbles when a new package is opened. And then there is addiction- as Dr. Kathleen M. Dillon admitted about herself: “I have to pop all the bubbles.”

And that brings us to Mary McMurray- she would “… HAVE to pop ALL the bubbles.” It did reduce stress for her, and she really loved that popping sound and feel. One year I gave her a small gift in a box with a lot of bubble wrap- the wrap did not last as long as expected, but while there was still air in those plastic bubbles, she enjoyed it probably more than the other gift.

It’s always good to make someone happy. And if you can gracefully leave the room while all the bubbles are being popped, so much the better.

So go out and find yourself some bubble wrap to pop today- you will be in good company on “Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day.” Although, apparently, that would be ANY day.

!POP!

Elsie Janis’ real name was Elsie Bierbower (or Elsie Beerbower), so if you are a Helbling or Bierbower cousin, you may be related to this very-famous-in-her-time comedienne, actress, singer, mimic, and entertainer of our troops in World War I. Those troops gave her the nickname, “Sweetheart of the A.E.F. (American Expeditionary Forces)” and she truly earned the accolade.

Why is this a “Wishful Wednesday” post? It is because Elsie’s 1st cousin once removed, Mary Theresa Helbling, wanted so much to be a singer like Elsie. Mary’s mother, Anna May Bierbower Helbling, was Elsie’s cousin, and talked about her often as Mary grew up. Mary also loved the movie magazines and cut paper dolls from them, when she was allowed to have such expensive and scandalous magazines. By that time Elsie was mostly a writer for the movies- she never transitioned well from the stage to talkies as an actress. Elsie led a glamorous life though, and was often pictured in the magazines. Mary, when young, wished she had a life like that too.

Mary also loved to sing- she had a very beautiful voice. She loved listening to light opera and singing along to it and all the wonderful old movies with Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, and the fabulous musicals of the 1950s and 60s. Her voice was good enough to have sung on the radio back in the late 1930s or 1940s- wish I could remember more about that. Later, Mary and the love of her life, Edward A. McMurray, Jr., would sing together around the house, with a beautiful harmony and sometimes mooney-eyed in-love looks at each other even when they knew the kids were watching.

This is also “Wishful Wednesday” because I wished for so many years to be able to hear Elsie’s voice. There was a university in Idaho, IIRC, that had old recordings, including those of Elsie. Back then, I wrote a letter on paper (!) and sent it to them, asking if there was any way they could record Elsie’s voice on reel-to-reel tapes (!!) for me. No answer, despite repeated requests, even once the internet started up and I sent an email. (Maybe because I was not a scholarly researcher?) Many years later, there are now digital recordings of her music available to the public- even on iTunes. Wonder what Elsie would make of that???

Downloading Elsie’s music was my first time for music with ‘Explicit’ material. I was sort of shocked- why would Elsie’s music be labeled as such? I then realized that some of the material was racist, such as that from minstrel shows or musicals that showed the races in the context of their times, the late 1800s-early 1900s, not our times. (Still hard to listen to some of those songs because of that.) I have also been able to buy one of her records on eBay, but no longer have a turntable so have not been able to listen to it.

The internet sure has made the amazing world of the past available to us all in seconds, and even while in our pajamas! It is wonderful to have my wish to hear Elsie come true; sure wish Mary would have had that opportunity.

More to come about Elsie’s interesting life!

Notes, Sources, and References:

1) See the International Movie Database at  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0006059/ for details about the stage musical and movie, “The Slim Princess.”

2) Elsie Janis Find a Grave Memorial # 10334. The bio is inaccurate although I have contacted the person many times. The family links were finally changed but it still erroneously states that she was the daughter of Lou Bierbauer. See also the memorials for her family members on Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10334. A Bierbower researcher had also added a memorial for her: Memorial # 33617289 at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=186286&GRid=33617289&.

3) “Sweetheart of the A.E.F.” is the title of the audio CD that contains 20 of her most popular songs. It is available on smile.Amazon.com and iTunes.

4) Remember Mitch Miller and Sing Along with Mitch? It ran from 1961-1966 on NBC. Mitch had a male chorale and also featured other excellent singers, like Leslie Uggmans, on the show. (Bob McGrath was one of those in the chorale; he later went on to be a long-time host of Sesame Street.) Mitch is regarded as the inventor of today’s karaoke, as the program featured the words shown on the screen, so the whole family could sing along. (There was no bouncing ball though.) For more information, see the Archive of American Television– http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/shows/sing-along-with-mitch. YouTube has videos of some performances: Sing Along with Mitch, Part 1 of 4– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dY9gtYeHhk. (The commercials are wonderful- frozen foods were just becoming popular. I remember the whole family eating frozen TV dinners on the folding metal TV trays while watching Mitch!)

5) Sheet music and photo of Mary Helbling in personal collection of the author.

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Copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

This is really a ‘Sentimental Sunday’- a day that causes memories, regrets, happy thoughts, and a whole mix of emotions to weave through my consciousness throughout the day. It is the birthday of Mary Theresa (Helbling) McMurray.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, to G. W. Helbling and Anna May Beerbower Helbing, Mary never knew that she was named for her paternal great-grandmother, Mary Theresa (Knipshield) Helbling. She always thought her family was of poor German and Irish origins, but it turns out that they were early pioneers, upstanding community members, and good, hardworking people. (See previous Helbling posts.)

Mary was the last of the seven children born in the family, with her nearest sibling eight years older. So she was the ‘baby’ of the family, and often felt like she had a number of mothers and fathers, since her oldest sibling was 17 years older. Her father was stern with her, but her mother doted on her, and she loved her mother so intensely that it was very hard for her to leave home even when she fell in love and married.

Mary’s father, G. W. Helbing, was extremely intelligent, even though he had not completed more than the eighth grade; her mother completed two years of high school. Her older brothers and sisters were very intelligent too- she sometimes had the same nuns for teachers as they had at St. Mark’s Catholic School, and the nuns would expect so much of her, because her older siblings had done so well. She was very good at spelling and loved to play chess, which her father and siblings taught her when young, and was a whiz at schedules and plain old arithmetic. She never really liked school though.

Mary loved to play with paper dolls and read movie magazines, though the magazines were considered scandalous back then. She would sometimes cut out the pictures of the movie stars, and use them as paper dolls. She loved the ‘glamour girls’ of the 1940s and wanted to look like them- there are many pictures of her in similar poses. She loved singing- even sang on the radio once as a child or young teen. Her mother’s cousin was Elsie Janis- a famed comedienne/singer/actress  of the early 1900s and “The Sweetheart of the A.E.F.”  (more on Elsie in upcoming posts) – and Mary wanted to be like her. The family had cocker spaniels which Mary dearly loved. One died in a fire in the family home, and Mary was always so sad about that, even 50 years later.

Mary T. Helbling and her husband, Edward A. McMurray, September 1948. “The Merry Macs” as she labeled this photo in her album. 

 Mary was a very fast typist and knew shorthand. She worked at Gardner’s Advertising and then a government group (maybe AFEES?) during the war. Mary met US Army/Air Corp veteran Edward A. McMurray on a blind date at a picnic in a park in 1946. The two fell madly in love, but did not want to marry, as Ed was in pharmacy school. Love won out, however, and they married on June 5, 1948. They lived with her parents until Ed graduated, found a job, and they purchased a house in north St. Louis County, in a new subdivision during the booming 1950s.

Although Mary would have loved to have the glamorous life of a singing star, as her mother’s cousin Elsie Janis had, she mostly just wanted to be a wife and mother. She did both, and always said that was her greatest accomplishment.

Mary Theresa (Helbling) McMurray passed away April 3, 2008, of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Happy Birthday, Mary Theresa. We love you and miss you.

Notes, Sources, and References:

1) G.W. Helbling, head of household, 1940 US Federal Census- Source Citation: Year: 1940; Census Place: St Louis, St Louis City, Missouri; Roll: T627_2208; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 96-670.

2) Family photos and oral history.

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Copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.