Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Helms, Mary Emma April 1902
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Marilyn Ransom mlnransom@chartermi.net May 23, 2010, 2:51 pm

Scrapbook of Bessie Townsend, April 1902
From the scrapbook of Bessie Townsend, Page 65, located in the Lyons, Michigan 
Museum.

April 28, 1902.  Mrs. Helms passed away at her home in this village on Monday 
evening.  The funeral held yesterday from the Baptist church.  

Sunday forenoon an operation to remove a tumor was made on Mrs. Mary Helms by 
Dr’s Hay, Grant, Schemer and Alton, and at first the doctors believed they had 
been successful as she rallied from the shock and showed quite a degree of 
strength.  This condition continued until Monday noon, but from that time on 
it became apparent to the trained nurse in attendance that the sands of her 
life were fast receding and a few hours at the  most would witness the end, 
which finally came about 8 o’clock in the evening.  Her three daughters, 
Bessie, Pearl and Agnes were at her bedside when she passed into the great 
unknown.

The funeral was held at 10:00 a.m. yesterday from the Baptist church, Rev. 
Swindt officiating.  The church was beautifully decorated and the casket was 
buried in a wilderness of flowers which loving hands had placed upon it.  She 
was laid to rest in the East Plains Cemetery.  

Mrs. Emma Gillespie was born to David and Elizabeth Gillespie on June 7, 1863, 
in Stark County, Ohio.  She was the fifth daughter of a family of twelve 
children.  She was marred in 1880 to Henry Helms, and to this union were born 
three daughters, Bessie, Pearl and Agnes, who survive their mother.  She moved 
to Pewamo with her family fourteen years ago and alone and unaided she 
purchased for them a home and gave to each of them the opportunity to obtain 
the jewel of life’s ambitions—an education.  She taught them to be good 
daughters, to be ladies, and best of all, to be a credit to the mother, whose 
loving hand had so carefully shaped their destinies.  She was a member at the 
time of her death of Power Hive, L.O.T.M., of Fowler, and carried a life 
insurance policy in that order.  She leaves many friends while the bereaved 
daughters have the deepest sympathy of all.

The funeral services, held at the Baptist church and conducted by Rev. Joseph 
Swindt assisted by the Ladies of the Maccabees, was very impressive and the 
largest ever held in Pewamo.  She was not a member of any church but was 
greatly interested in the spiritual welfare of her children. Her health began 
to fail some seven weeks prior to her death and having always being of a 
strong nature her last struggle was made more bitter, but still she was 
patient and cheerful to the end.

Mrs. Helms had many trials and tribulations to pass through in her life but 
she met then all bravely and we hope that she has triumphed over the last and 
greatest, successfully solving the mystery of death, and has been received to 
her reward upon the right hand of God.


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