Joseph Warren Helms

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="0a5d05a3.jpg"> <div> Orange County, New York</div> <div> American History and Genealogy Project</div> <div> Joseph Warren Helms</div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="0a6d2123.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ny/county/orange/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ny/county/or"><U>Orange County AHGP/ALHN</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ny/state/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ny/state/"><U>New York AHGP/ALHN</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://ahgp.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://ahgp.org"><U>AHGP</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://alhn.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://alhn.org"><U>ALHN</U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="623" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 981 WIDTH="617"><div> <B><IMG SRC="05dce180.jpg" border=0 width="206" height="280" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Old English Text MT" >Y</FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >OU would not think to meet him of a morning, that he had passed, by seven years, the three-score and ten.  He has faced much adversity, but it would seem that he could make John Wesley's language his.  “I feel and grieve, but by the grace of God I fret at nothing.”  “Anxiety never successfully bridged over any chasm.”</FONT></div> <bR> <div>                 <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >“Tis always morning somewhere, and above</FONT></div> <div>                     The awakening continents, from</div> <div>                      shore to shore,</div> <div>                      Some where the birds are singing evermore.”</div> <bR> <div>      But this man has faith that the angels are singing overhead.  He believes that the loved ones who have gone on before, are waiting till he comes.  He believes that all defects are hidden by the robe of Christ's righteousness and that men are loved for their faith, not for their works.  This shows the man a solid, doctrinal, loyal Christian, loving the Presbyterian Church as the proper body of Christ on the earth.</div> <div>      He was the oldest of seven children born to Nathan W. and Julia Ann Marvin Helms.  The two sons of this family are still living. They are retired farmers.  His brother, Nathan H. Helms, lives with the only surviving sister, Mrs. Woodhull, at Oxford Depot, N. Y., and looks after his farm which is not far distant.  The subject of our sketch makes his home with his children, spending the Sabbath especially with his son Nathan in Chester, while the rest of the time is spent with his daughter Ruth, at Monroe, N. Y.</div> <div>      He was born in the town of Blooming Grove, not far from Grey Court, July 27, 1820.  He is, therefore, the second eldest of the members of the session of Chester Church.</div> <div>      His education was secured in the public school at Oxford, later he attended school at Newburgh, and later still at Blooming Grove, N. Y.  Whether he ever had thoughts of any other calling than that of farming, is not known.  He is so well acquainted with the points of Church law, that it would seem as if he had a natural aptitude for law.  He has served the public for six years as Commissioner of Highways in the town of Blooming Grove from 1867 to 1873.  He had also served the public in the Civil War by voluntarily sending a substitute to the front when he could not go himself.</div> <div>      He remained on the home farm with his parents until about 26 years of age, when he was married to Miss Elizabeth Roe, daughter of Lewis H. Roe, of Monroe.</div> <div>      He and his bride began their life of hope and toil and joy near Oxford Depot, N. Y.  Three children were born to them. Ruth, Mary and Nathan.  They all grew to maturity, but Mary died, unmarried, January 30th, 1897, after a long illness.  Her spirit, however, was ripe for the Master's call.  She passed from the vision of many friends, much loved, much lamented, with strong assurance that she would “see the King in his beauty and the land of very far vision.”</div> <div>      All the children had united early in life with the Chester Church, doing better even than their father in this respect, since he put it off until he was about thirty-five.  But he was so well equipped when he did unite with the Church in the qualities that make an elder that he was elected to that position in Monroe two years after accepting Christ.</div> <div>      He served that Church with Rev. Dr. Daniel N. Freeland for nineteen years as an elder.  Removing to Chester, he was elected to the eldership of this Church in 1876.  He has served both churches well and represented his church with honor at the New York Synod in Elmira and New York City.</div> <div>      He is well known at Presbytery, where he has attended frequently.  He is a man rich in feeling.  He is strong in his likes and dislikes.  He is in no sense a politician.  He is a straightforward citizen of the highest Christian type.  His love for his children is very marked. Modest in regard to his own distinguishing qualities, he believes that his wife, who died in 1884, has left such a legacy of love, loyalty, purity and Christian benevolence to their children as seldom falls to the lot of any home.</div> <div>      Even the grandchildren have caught the spirit of this noble grandmother in Israel and labor incessantly for the building up of the Master's kingdom.</div> <div>      “Love is the fulfilling of the law.”-Romans xiii: 10.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="pg31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Samuel S. Durland"><U>Next Page</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="pg1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Table of Contents"><U>Table of Contents</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>