Sheldon had a chapter for each of his brothers and sisters. As my pages are a little larger than Sheldon's, I have taken the liberty to change his format just a tad..........Lee

                                      THE  FAMILY

                                      (15th Generation)

LLOYD CHARLES

born: January 10, 1903

died: February 17, 1983

I remember Lloyd from about 1918 or 1919. He was about fifteen and I was four or five. I grew to love him as an older brother and respect him as a man.

Lloyd, like most boys back then, worked when there was work to be done, which was most of the time. Most of the work then was farm work, wood cutting, and sawmilling.

On Sunday afternoons the neighborhood boys would gather at one farm or another to talk, play ball, tell stories or lift iron weights to see who was the strongest. Lloyd was the champion.

In 1920 Lloyd took a job with the Fulton County Highway Department. He worked on the roads as a tractor operator. As a small boy these were the biggest tractors that I had ever seen. Of course that has changed as we have seen so many things change. That type and size of tractor looks small today.

About 1926 when Lloyd was grading the hill at the Behymer's farm, it seems he got mighty thirsty often. It also seems there was also a girl on this farm. Lloyd married this girl, Opal, in 1928. They had four children:

Richard Lloyd, Dec. 15, 1930 - died Jan 1, 1933

Neva Marjorie,        May 1, 1932

David Joseph,July 22, 1934

Barbara Lou,March 31, 1937

Lloyd and Opal moved to Ellisville, a small town on the Spoon River. Lloyd worked for the County Highway Department from 1920 to 1944.

When I was about 15 I remember Lloyd dragging the dirt roads. Most of the state roads were paved or graveled but county and rural roads were dirt and needed constant dragging or maintenance. This was done then with steel drags behind a tractor and this was Lloyd's job.

Lloyd kept this job through the depression years of the 1930's.. .when the nation had up to 25% of the working force unemployed, he always had a job. The pay was above average and he always seemed to have money when the rest of us younger boys were broke. He possibly managed his money better. We do not know, but have reason to believe that he gave a lot to the family budget when Mom and Dad still had small children at home.

Lloyd took a job with Truax Traer Coal Co. strip mine at Fiat, IL. in 1944. In strip mining, the land is taken off the top of the earth, and coal is taken out of the ground. He worked as a caterpillar tractor operator until he retired in 1968.

About 1940 Lloyd served a few years on the school board. He was also elected Township Road Commissioner, which was a part time job, not interfering with his job at the coal company. Lloyd was re-elected eight times, serving until 1975 when he retired. Very few men have served longer in an elected position.

Lloyd and Opal's son, David, and our son, Lyle, were in a semi tractor-trailer accident west of Lanark, IL on September 7, 1956. Lyle was killed and David received severe leg burns.

Friday,  February  17,  1981:Lloyd's wife, Opal, had a severe stroke and died on Tuesday, the 21st. My brother Gail wrote a poem about Opal and it was read at her funeral. I will say no more as Gail's poem says it all.

A TRIBUTE TO A FRIEND

by Gail Helle

I was only a boy of seven

When she entered our lives

This girl with the big smile

and the dark eyes.

Our oldest brother

brought home a wife.

She adopted us all, even me Nine younger brothers and sisters three.

This girl with the ready smile,

"Our brother's wife."

Down through all the years,

The first with a call,

If any were sick or accidents befall, "Our brother's wife."

First with the get well card, First with the Christmas Card.

A steady letter to her brothers In the service, in time of war,

'Our brother's wife."

Through sickness and sorrow,

This girl with a smile,

"Our brother's wife."

I think I speak for us all

when I say,

"We haven't lost a brother's wife We have lost a friend."

****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

ROYLE GEORGE

born: February 23, 1904

died: September 26, 1979

The love and respect I expressed for Lloyd would describe my feelings towards the whole family. We are, even today, a very close family. Our reunions are well attended. When possible, we visit each other several times a year.

I remember Royle playing the piano and other musical instruments. He could play most any musical instrument, including the saxophone, violin, the piano, and even the saw. (that was unique).

About 1926, Royle worked at a hospital in Chicago. He left the hospital to play with a band in a carnival for one season. It was the world's largest carnival, only playing in large cities. After this he worked on a farm in Fulton County Illinois.

In 1929, he married Alta Fouts and to this union five children were born. They were:

Ava Janene                                        April 9, 1930

Janet Leila                               September 7, 1931

Norman Gene                              August 28, 1932

Lodema Joyce              Oct. 22, 1934 - Feb. 21, 1948

Royle Glen                                       April 19, 1936

For fifty years Royle entertained at clubs, dances, senior citizens groups and private parties, etc. Not for the money,but for the pure pleasure of entertaining. Royle and his children had a six piece Orchestra. This small family band took second place at the Illinois State Fair in 1947. In February 1948, their youngest daughter, Joyce, died. The family would never be the same.

Many years later, Royle and his grandchildren played instruments and sang, entertaining various groups in a wide area.

Royle farmed in the Spoon River Country near Ellisville, twenty miles west of Canton, Illinois for over forty years. He was well known in Fulton County throughout the farm circles and especially as the player of the musical saw on the "Spoon River Scenic Drive," held each fall. People came from all over just to see the beauty of the Spoon River Country. Royle's music was a feature attraction.

Alta died in September 1974. Royle has since retired and has recently made his home with his daughter, Ava Boyce, near Ellisville. He spends part of each winter in the southwest with another daughter, Leila Vladich.

Having been born and raised on a farm myself, I always enjoyed the time spent at the farm with Royle and his family. Walter and I traveled with Royle on several trips in the Midwest states. These were great trips and will always be treasured memories.

Royle also writes poetry which is enjoyed by all. He has had a pamphlet published on some of his poetry and that of his daughter-in-law, Ilene's sister, in Tennessee. There was correspondence wrote between these two in poetry form.

Royle and Alta raised a fine family. Their children have been very successful in their life's endeavors as were Royle and Alta.

NOTE:  Brother Royle died September 26, 1979, after this story was written.

An editorial, written by Wendy Jo Martin of the Lewistown, IL paper, is included. It is the following:

ROYAL HELLE

By Wendy Jo Martin

I don't suppose there is anyone who hasn't lost a good friend or relative to the grim reaper, and this week all of Fulton County lost such a friend.

Royal Helle passed away last Wednesday morning. I like to think that he was a very special friend of mine. Of all the many friends I have in this county, he was my first.

We met at a Scenic Drive Associates dinner several months before I came to work here. I can remember first being fascinated with his name, (I didn't know that the "e" was pronounced) but it wasn't long before I became fascinated with the man.

It is fitting I suppose, that he should pass on at this time of year. It is the Autumn of the year, the Autumn of life itself. It is also Spoon River Scenic Drive time.

Royle was a talented man, a writer, a musician, a poet. I imagine he had a dozen other talents that I never got around to explore-there was just so much to him, I don't think anyone would know the whole story.

Anyone who has ever been on the Spoon River Scenic Drive has undoubtedly run across Royle. Bloutville was always one of the biggest attractions of the Drive, and Royle was the biggest attraction at Bloutville. The sound of his musical saw could be heard across the acres there.

He was a sharing man, and he shared his talents with his grandchildren and his tradition will be carried on by his granddaughters, Paula Helle and Norma Boyce. But it won't be the same. There was a love in his music that I don't believe will ever be duplicated. There was a lot of love in the man.

His book, "Inspirational Gems of Spoon River Valley and the Hills of Tennessee" say a lot about that. The book is a collection of "poem letters" exchanged between Royle Helle, "Spoon River Saw-Player Poet" and Lois Green, "Tennessee Hillbilly Poet."

The letters were written in any kind of rhyme the authors could come up with. The Hillbilly Poet, Lois, was the sister of one of his daughters-in-law. Like all letters, they were newsy - (telling what each family member was up to and plans for the weekend and so on.) But they were also filled with the thoughts each held in their hearts, and their philosophies on life.

In one letter he wrote her.

Five times the stork brought us great joy.

Three times a girl and two times a boy.

And now they are grown and gone away.

My favorite is in her grave, so beautiful and gay.

The Lord wanted her in Heaven-the people to cheer.

While we down here shed many a bitter tear.

As I sit here with tears on my face-

I tell you this sorrow time can not erase.

I just looked out the window and what do I see,

Three grandsons of mine to visit grandma and me.

I wipe my tears and get to my feet. and go to the door,

my grandsons to greet.

I pick up little Stevie and I hold him tight.

All at once the sun is shining bright.

Now, Royle is with the one that went away, leaving the sun dull and unshining for the rest of us.

Until this year, the Spoon River Scenic Drive turned Bloutville from a quiet but busy farm into a mini-metropolis bursting at the seams with visitors. This year Bloutville will be nothing more than a ghost town, but I'm sure if those passing through to their next Scenic Drive destination take a minute to stop there on the now quiet country side, they will hear the songs of Royle's saw-played with "two bows" at once - reverberating in the wind.

Wendy Jo Martin

Note by Sheldon: I thought so much of the following letter I decided to include it. Originally, I edited out a portion but my family insisted I leave it exactly as written. It is as follows:

June 6, 1978

Dear Sheldon,

This is a thank you letter for the check and that wonderful little book. After seeing how my family reacted to it and that tear bringing poem, "Me Mudder", all we can say is it calls for another and another.

You are the champion of the family. This old world has been a much brighter place because of you. When you were about three or four, you sat beside Dad at the table. When your meat was gone, we would hear a meek little voice say, "Meat." Dad would look at us older boys and wink at us. Then, we would hear that same mild voice say "Meat" again. After about ten seconds had passed, a gigantic (Jackie Gleason), roaring voice demanded "Meat!" Needless to say, you got your meat. But somehow Dad could never hear you till you put on your famous screech show. God only knows how we enjoyed our meals when we had meat..

Then I remember when we got up in the morning us boys would go out by the barn and line up and see who could squirt the farthest. You were an easy winner.

Thanks, I am glad you are my brother.

As Ever,

Royle

P.S. June 6th, Glen's oldest boy "Mark"graduates tonight.

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