William Helvie

William L. Helvie died at home with family beside him on December 15, 2010 after fighting leukemia for four months. 

The son of Harold R. and Edith F. (Anderson) Helvie was born May 1, 1927 in Alton.  He was raised in Wood River and attended the grade schools and East Alton-Wood River High School, graduating in 1945.  While in high school, Bill attended carpentry class for 3 years, learning how to build homes.  During 1943 and 1944, he constructed model airplanes for the Army, Air Force, and Navy to identify German and Japanese aircraft.  He was on the track team in his senior year, running the mile and half mile in every track meet.  He obtained several 1st and 2nd place awards during the season.  He holds the honor of 2nd place in the Southwest Conference Mile and 4th place in the District Mile in 1945.

While goin to high school, he was a paper boy and later became the manager of Wood River News Agency.  He worked in the summer for Economy Boat Store and also holidays for Wood River Flower Shop and later Smit’s Florist.

fter graduating from high school, he was drafted into the Army.  He went to Ft. Benjamin Harrison Army Finance School in Indiana.  After graduating, he was shipped to Ft. Sheridan to work in the 5th Army Separation Center.  Later he worked in the Separation Center at Camp Grant, Ill. and Camp McCoy, Wis.  He took basic training at Ft. Lee, Va. and later returned to Ft. Sheridan to work in Post Finance.  He was discharged in 1947 holding the rank of Sgt T/4.

He enrolled in Ranken Technical College in 1947 in a class for pattern making.  He graduated in 1949 and went to work at Duncan Foundry in Alton in the pattern shop.

In 1959 he went to work for Paul Worcester at Woodland Hill Cemetery as its first sexton.  Two years later, Mr. Worcester sold the cemetery to William.  He became the first owner to live at the cemetery and maintain it.  He spent 40 years improving the cemetery, adding the Garden features and the Veteran’s Memorial with the help of Wood River VFW Post 2859.  He added the “Avenue of Flags”, in which casket flags donated by veterans’ families were put on poles and placed along the cemetery road.  William and many of his family and friends placed the flags, donating their time to honor the veterans.  He also placed a small flag on each veteran grave.  William held a public service every Memorial Day at the cemetery.

On June 19, 1982 the Dept. of Illinois VFW honored William in Chicago with a plaque, honoring him for his outstanding efforts in promoting patriotism in his community with the flag placement display on Memorial Day and Veterans Day.  He was one of 10 people in the United States that hear to receive that honor.

In 1952 he joined the Rosewood Heights Volunteer Fire Dept. to help protect his community.  He bowled with the fire department bowling league for several years.  He served as captain of one fire crew for a while.  Later, he was voted treasurer of the fire department, and, after 7 years, he was appointed Trustee of the Fire District due to the death of trustee George Hudson.  He became treasurer of the Fire District and held that post for 26 years before he retired in 1992 after 40 years in fire service.  While in the fire department, he served on many committees.  He was a member of Illinois Fire Fighters Association, the Madison County Fireman’s Association, and Madison County Fire Fighters.

When his son Kip joined the Cub Scouts, he served as Cub Scout committee man for Pack #60, and also Scout Troop #60 and later became Explorer Post 60 Advisor.  He was in Scouting 15 years and was a past member of the “Order of the Arrow”.  He helped to form the Piasa Bird Trail, a 14-mile Scout Trail on the river bluffs above the River Road.  Over 25,000 Scouts walked the trail in 10 years.  He was past member of the Illinois Cemetery Association and the American Cemetery Association.  He was a lifetime member of the Wood River American Legion, Post #204 and later the East Alton Post #794.  He was a member of the Alton Eagles, Aerie #254, Wood River Moose Lodge #1349, National Sheriffs Association and Ranken Alumni Association.

He was a member of the 1st United Methodist Church in Wood River for over 80 years.  He served on many committees and worked on many woodworking projects for the church.  He bowled on the Men’s Church League for several hears.  In his love for woodworking, he helped his friends and relatives build a total of 6 complete homes and several other buildings, including two additions on the rosewood Heights Fire Dept. buildings.

In 1949 he married Reka (Myers Holder and in 1990, they were separated, divorcing in 1993.  She survives.  He is also survived by a son, Kip Helvie of Collinsville; a daughter and son-in-law, Marsha and Randy Klug of Brighton; a grandson, Craig Smith of Brighton; a granddaughter and her husband, Jessi and Bill Williams and a great granddaughter, Adelyn, all of Wood River; his close companion, Bernice O. Cox of Alton; and families of Jimmie and Donna Powell, Teresa and Gene Bartlet, Denis and Mark Northy, and Phyllis Day.

He was preceded in death by a son, Ned Helvie; his parents, Harold R. and Edith F. Helvie.

Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 20 at Paynic Home for Funerals in Rosewood Heights, where funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 21.

Burial will follow at Woodland Hill Cemetery in East Alton.

Memorials may be made to Rosewood Heights Fire Dept., the 1st United Methodist Church of Wood River, or Ranken Technical College in St. Louis.

Online condolences at www.paynicfh.com