Heltsley Family Tree Info

Southern Illinois Ancestors.

Includes Heltsley's and many others. Southern Illinois is where most of my closest relatives come from. I'm told we migrated out of Kentucky around the turn of the last century. My Great Grand Dad, Ezra Coleman Heltsley and his brother Willis Pearl Heltsley moved to Williamson County. A brief mention of Jesse Albert Heltsley is listed way down the geneology. He was my grand father. Last time I checked, none of his children were listed, but they would include my dad, Carl Ray Heltsley along with all his brothers and sisters. In order they are: Wilma, Dorothy, Juanita (died at age 2), Katherine, Harry, Jack, Dale, Carl, Sue. To see the tree, click the following link:
http://www.southern-illinois-ancestors.com/index.htm

I have found that sometimes the Southern Illinois site is down for whatever reason, but it does exist. If the link doesn't work, try it later, or on a different day. The geneology located on the site was put together by a cousin, Linda Brown. Visit the tree and you can see how she fits in.

History on Geneology.com.

It seems that the farthest anyone can trace our tree back is to a Jacob Heltsley of North Carolina. Depending on the actual European name that was Anglicized in a variety of ways, we are from either Switzerland or Germany. You can also see that there were several versions on how our name was changed into various spellings in English. Much the same way it continues to be mispronounced to date. The below brief article sheds some light on the matter. Or possibly keeps the matter just as muddy as ever. You can read it and decide.
http://genforum.genealogy.com/heasley/messages/47.html

Southern Grace

This is a site for a family in Texas. Somewhere in their ancient family history, about the time of my ancestor Jacob Heltsley, our trees crossed. The following entry is likely Jacob's son. This marriage was his first wife, I am descended from his second wife. But if his first marriage had lasted, we would have some aristocracy in our bloodline. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~annieg/Grace/gracebook.htm 
                                ix.  Martha, m. John Heltsley on December 19, 1839, in Christian                                           County.

These are just a few places to trace family roots back, and that's just on the Heltsley side.

Heltsley-Westmoreland

My grandfather, Jesse Albert married Effie Pearl Westmoreland and I haven't got a clue about her folks... Until now, the following is a clue and small update.

UPDATE: Just a small addition. Effie Pearl's family are said to have also migrated to Southern Illinois from Kentucky. Not sure when. Before Kentucky, they are said to have migrated from Virginia, where it is thought they entered the country many years ago.

Betzner-Wood

On my mom's side, Mary Kay Wood. I don't know much about the Wood side other than my grandpa Alvin Roscoe had a few brothers and at least one sister. The only names that come to mind is Florence and Elmer, but I know there were more.

Alvin married Mary Lamanda Betzner and had children. Donald Dean, Dale A, Mary Kay, and Joseph Curtis. Beyond that I'm not sure of previous generations except that my grandmother, Mary had a grand parent whose last name was either Euler, or Oyler, not sure of the spelling.

There are still a lot of Wood and Betzners in Indiana around Miami County, I just don't know them all very well. I know there have been some family geneologies done along the Betzner line, but apparently none that have been posted online. If you are one, I'd like to hear from you.

Heltsley-Morris

For my own little branch of the tree, Keith Heltsley married Robin Morris on November 21, 1981. For a short page on Robin, click here. Please note, the page is no longer maintained and may not be there anymore. Robin and I are doing our best to keep the family tree blooming. So far here are the fruits we have produced ChristopherEric, Michael Keith, David Isaac and Nathan Daniel. So far there is only one more branch to come. For info all about that check out the Odie Page. A place where it is all about Odie Victoria Marie Heltsley, the new grand baby.

Heltsley's

Use the above link at the Southern Illinois page to get your own copy of the family tree. I'll use this space to link to People Pages as I can write them. I'll try to start with the branch of Jesse Albert Heltsley, since that is kind of where the geneology leaves off at the mentioned family tree web site.

Jesse Albert Heltsley.
All I know about him is that he was born in Southern Illinois in 1902 and married Effie Pearl Westmoreland, probably around 1922. He was a Private in the Army, just after World War 1. In those days enlistments were for 2 years, so he was likely in from1920 until 1922. He got married after getting out. He was said to have been an auto mechanic and died in 1950. Granny Heltsley said that he died of "TB, Tired Butt." He was not around much, just long enough to have another child and be gone again. Nobody says too much about him, he was a heavy drinker.

UPDATE: Even in World War 1, pilots were officers, sometimes Sergeants. Mechanics of any rank were trained to fly the aircraft for testing, but wern't allowed to fly missions.

The following is a snip from Sue (Heltsley) Eisenman.

My dad served in the US Army Air Corp after WWI. He loved airplanes and trained as a pilot. I remember him going to the Marion County Airport on Sundays when I was little, renting a plane and flying around.

One time he put me into the passenger seat, got out, and pretended I was going up alone. Of course I freaked out and screamed my head off. He thought it was pretty funny, my mom did not!

He was a master mechanic, the best in the county I was told by the Ford dealership in Marion, but that he just couldn't leave the bottle alone. Very tragic for our talented, musical, artistic, and smart family. We didn't stand a chance to succeed. But some of us made it ok, with hard work. But I don't think any of us has ever fully recovered from the devastation we suffered because of the poverty, sadness, and shame. Only heaven can heal that stuff.

Effie Pearl Westmoreland.
I don't know a lot about her either. Both she and Jesse only made it to the 8th grade in school. A common thing during that time. She was born in February 1899. She always seemed to have a ruffled appearance, clothes mussed, hair not combed. In spite of that, she was a pretty woman. All her daughters reflect that. I saw a photo of her in her early thirties, again despite her unkempt appearance, she was nice to look at. She was able to raise kids virtually up to her death in the mid 1970's. All her own kids left home by the late 1950's, then in the early 1960's her son Dale moved in with her after a divorce and brought 2 sons of his own that she helped to bring up. I'll have to make a page just for her when I can, but I don't know too much more.

UPDATE: Here's more. Another snip from Susan Ann.

Her dad, my grandfather, Charles Jefferson Westmoreland was born in Green County KY in (approximately) 1870

They were tobacco farmers. His father was Asa Westmoreland. I don't have any info on him. He married Lucy Jane Bradley in about 1895 in Marion IL. They had 2 sons who died in infancy: Harry Frank was one. I can't recall the other one's name ...

They also had a son, Alta, who served in the US Army during WWI, and died in France from influenza.

They had 4 daughters: Iva May, Effie Pearl (my mom, your grannie), Anna Belle, and Verna Marie.

Children of Jesse Albert and Effie Pearl are: (mostly in the right order)
Wilma, Dorothy, Juanita (died at age 2), Katherine, Harry Lee, Jack, S. Dale, Carl Ray, and Sue Ann.

For more information, or to clarify any family information, send me an email and I'll do my best to fill in any gaps. I'm not much of a historian myself. I prefer to stand on the shoulders of others who are much better at it than I am. If you have a story to tell about former Heltsley's though, don't be afraid to tell me and I will add to these pages.

For more info about Keith, try one of these links:

 


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Last Updated: 9:16 PM 6/23/2008