Marshall County KS Archives Biographies.....Helvering, William J. 1846 - living in 1917
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com July 21, 2005, 10:50 pm

Author: B. F. Bowen

WILLIAM J. HELVERING.

    William J. Helvering, an honored veteran of the Civil War, former mayor of
Beattie and the present assistant postmaster of that city, father of the Hon.
Guy T. Helvering, congressman from this district, and of Alma M. Helvering,
postmaster of Beattie, and for years one of the best-known citizens of Marshall
county, is a native of the state of Ohio, but has been a resident of Kansas
since the year 1887. He was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, June 8, 1846, a son
of Daniel and Susanna (Leonard) Helvering, both natives of Maryland, born near
Hagerstown, the former of whom was born in 1812 and the latter in 1819. Daniel
Helvering was a shoemaker and farmer, and his father, who was a native of
Pennsylvania, was a hotel-keeper. Susanna Helvering was a daughter of John
Leonard and wife, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Germany,
she having come to this country with her parents when she was six years of age.
Daniel Helvering early established his home in Pickaway county, Ohio, and there
he spent the rest of his life. His wife died in 1866 and he survived her until
1882. They were the parents of thirteen children, of whom the subject of this
sketch was the seventh in order of birth.

    Reared on the home farm in Pickaway county, Ohio, William J. Helvering
received his early schooling in the district school in that neighborhood and
supplemented the same by a course in the high school at Circleville, Ohio.
During the Civil War he enlisted as a member of Company C, One Hundred and
Fifty-fifth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, known as the Home Guards, and
served on garrison duty for four months in the year 1865. At the conclusion of
his military service he entered the Southwestern Normal School at Lebanon, Ohio,
and in 1867 began teaching school in Pickaway county. The next year he went to
Clermont county, in that same state, and was there engaged in teaching for
twelve years. In 1879 he engaged in farming and tobacco raising there and later
went to the nearby city of Cincinnati, where for a year he was engaged in the
employ of the Street Railway Company. That was in the days of the cable system
of-the operation of street cars in that city.

    In the meantime one of Mr. Helvering's brothers, Louis E. Helvering, had
come to this state and had engaged in the mercantile business at Beattie.
Thither William J. Helvering came in the year 1887 and for a year thereafter was
engaged with his brother in the latter's hardware store. He then, in 1888, was
engaged in the sale of fruit trees throughout this part of the state, and the
next year turned his attention to truck farming at Beattie, where he owns a snug
bit of property. From the very beginning of his residence at Beattie, William J.
Helvering has given his thoughtful attention to local political affairs and has
for years been recognized as one of the leaders in the Democratic party in that
part of the county. He has held numerous public offices, including that of
township clerk, city councilman, marshal of Beattie, police judge and mayor of
the city. It was during his incumbency as mayor of Beattie that the city built
the opera house block and city hall. Mr. Helvering is now serving as assistant
postmaster of Beattie, under appointment of his daughter, Alma M. Helvering, who
was commissioned postmaster by President Wilson in 1915. Mr. Helvering is a
pensioner on account of his services in behalf of the Union during the Civil War
and receives eighteen dollars a month from the government.

    In 1870, at Felicity, in Clermont county, Ohio, William J. Helvering was
united in marriage to Samantha Jane Jones, who was born in that county on April
4, 1850, elder of the two daughters born to William and Mary (Hicks) Jones,
natives of Ohio, and to this union five children have been born, Edward G.,
Lillie, Guy T., Robert L. and Alma M., all of whom are living save Lillie, born
on September 3, 1873, who died in 1878.

    Edward G. Helvering was born on June 24, 1871, and was educated in the
Cincinnati common schools and in the high school at Beattie. He is an expert
mechanic and steam engineer and has traveled over the greater part of the globe,
the most of the time in government employ, having served for some time as
inspector of the material that entered into the construction of battleships. For
the past eight years Edward G. Helvering has been in the government employ in
the Philippine Islands, as a steam engineer, and is now in charge of a force of
seven hundred men. He married Mrs. Ida (Williams) McGregor.

    The Hon. Guy T. Helvering, present member of Congress from this district,
was born at Felicity. Ohio, January 10, 1878, and received his elementary
schooling in the schools at Cincinnati and at Beattie, this county. In 1903 he
entered the University of Kansas at Lawrence, with the expectation of completing
the pharmacy course there, but in that same year changed his course of study and
entered the law department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, from
which he was graduated in 1906. During his senior year at the university he was
president of his class. Upon completing his law studies Guy T. Helvering opened
an office for the practice of his profession at Marysville, this county, and was
presently elected county attorney, a position he occupied for two terms. He then
was elected congressman from this district and is now serving in that capacity.
On March 16, 1910, Guy T. Helvering was united in marriage to Tena L. Koester.

    Robert L. Helvering, who also was educated to the law, was born on January
27, 1883, and is now engaged in the practice of his profession at Marysville,
one of the best-known young lawyers in this part of the state.

    Alma M. Helvering was born on November 19, 1888, at Beattie, and was
graduated from the high school in that city. She then took a course in the fine
arts and music at the State University at Lawrence and on January 3, 1915, was
appointed postmaster at Beattie, which position she now occupies. Miss Helvering
continues to make her home with her parents at Beattie and her father is serving
as assistant postmaster. The Helverings have a very pleasant home at Beattie and
have for years been among the leaders in all good works in that community.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

History of Marshall County, Kansas: its people, industries, and institutions
by
Emma E. Forter

Indianapolis, Ind.: B.F. Bowen & Co. (1917)

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