Jacksonville Review – November 2024

THE FRIENDS’ final History Saturday in the Cemetery presentation of 2024 took place on another beautiful September morning with Fall in the air and an audience eager to hear the sequel to June’s talk on Courtship and Love Customs in Early Jacksonville.

Continuing the theme, this time with Love and Marriage in Early Jacksonville, Anne Peugh and Lynn Ransford, long-time Friends docents and again in period costume, shared stories of wedding customs from the 1800s, including when (and why) couples married (brides often very young, grooms often much older); bridal attire (black was common, white came later); the importance of wedding gifts (status indicators for both givers and receivers); and legal aspects of marriage (property ownership and, in the infrequent case of divorce, child custody).

Additional stories shared on the tour to related gravesites helped make this a most interesting and informative morning! We once again thank Lynn and Anne for helping us better understand just how different life was in pioneer days not so long ago.

The grounds of Jacksonville’s elegant Helms house, on South Oregon Street, have long been the resting place of a headstone inscribed for Herminne J. Helms following her passing in 1868. The third child of Herman and Augusta Helms, “Minnie” died in her second year and was laid to rest next to the small rustic cabin her family called home prior to construction in 1878 of their large, two-story home on the same property, which retained the cabin as the kitchen and pantry. Minnie’s remains were eventually moved to the family plot in the Jacksonville Historic Cemetery (IOOF 403) and marked with a new stone.

The 1868 stones, however, remained adjacent to the former cabin until a recent change in ownership and a call to Sexton Rick Shields resulted in the markers coming into the possession of the Jacksonville Historic Cemetery.

With assistance from Friends restoration specialist, John McGlothlin, Shields repurposed a spare marker to serve as a base, and Minnie’s original headstone (and footstone) were installed adjacent to her “newer” 1926 marker by McGlothlin and Friends restoration team member Dee Reynar. Minnie’s life may have been the briefest of the eleven members of the Herman Helms family, but the double markers should help ensure that her memory endures.

As Veteran’s Day approaches, it will soon be time for the flags at the gravesites of our Veterans to be retrieved for winter storage. Please join us on November 14, 10am, at the Sexton’s Tool House, as we do our part in “celebrating the spirit of gratitude throughout our historic landmark town!”

Featured image: Minnie Helms 1868 Markers: Helms Block (IOOF 403) – Photo: Diana Reynar