News: Granton - Harry/Clara Helms, “Citizens of the Year” (1979)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Helm, Garbisch,

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 9/06/1979

Granton-Harry/Clara Helms “Citizens of the Year” (1979)

Henry and Clara Helm, lifetime residents of the Granton area, have been selected as “Citizens of the Year” for the annual Granton Fall Festival, slated to begin this Friday and closing Sunday evening. The festival, the 29th annual, attracts thousands of people to the small community. This year’s gala will feature several new events, including an agricultural Olympics.

Honored Citizens

Henry and Clara Helm, who will ride in the parade on Sunday afternoon, are a life-time farming couple. Henry was born three miles east of Granton while Clara was born three miles west of the village. Henry and his brother Louie, both married sisters, Clara and Adelia Garbisch. (Editor’s note: Mr./Mrs. Louie Helm will be honored also during the parade as they were selected in a local contest as “Grandparents of the Year.” Of special note is the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Louie Helm will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on the day of the parade.)

Henry and Clara were married on June 30, 1923, celebrating their golden anniversary six years ago. The couple rented a farm for three years after their marriage and then moved in 1927 to the Town of Grant where they purchased a 52-acre spread for $10,000, which included fourteen milk cows, four heifers and a horse. The farm is now owned by their son, Roger, and has grown to include two other farms for a total of 160 acres.

The Helms raised one daughter, Mrs. Sam (Elaine) Seefeldt, a Melrose farmwife; and two sons, Donald of Granton, who is employed at Nelson Muffler in Neillsville, and Roger on the home farm. They also have seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

The Helms raised their children during the Depression years, teaching them that thrift was a worthwhile value. Henry remembers receiving $1.50 for hundred weight of milk, $2.00 for a piglet and twelve cents for a dozen eggs.

One of their happy recollections was the year, 1931, when the farm received electricity and running water. That first night, the Helms stayed up until the late hours to be sure that it was true.

Unhappy recollections include the year 1936 when tractors couldn’t turn two furrows as the land was so hard and in 1964 when they lost their barn by lightning and lost seven sows, 55 piglets destroyed.

The Helms have been active in Zion Lutheran Church, the Town of Grant board and the Wild Rose School district while it operated.

Clara enjoys tending to her flowers with petunias being her favorite. Henry enjoys working in his shop, sharpening saws for neighbors.

In commenting on the award, the couple said that “A lot more people deserve this honor than we do, but Granton is a good place to live, and your friends and neighbors are the best.”