GAYLORD, Helen Mar (nee Lamb) 1836-1918

GAYLORD, LAMB

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 9/30/2010 at 20:05:34

HELEN MAR (nee LAMB) GAYLORD -- 1836-1918

Old Settlers Death:

Helen Mar Lamb was the sixth child of Allen and Mary Lamb. The children were nine in number of whom she is the last to depart the natural body. Her Scotch parents of Glasgow came as bride and groom to America in 1823 and became pioneers of Pennsylvania where they bought a very heavy timber for their all five hundred dollars in cash -- a considerable amount in those days. They found the land fifteen miles from any neighbor, but built a log cabin, and cleared some of the land, but grew disheartened and sick that they deserted that place and moved to Wheeling, West Virginia, where Mrs. Lamb had a brother, William Blair, working as a wheelwright. Mr. Lamb worked at his trade as a mason for several years and then bought a government claim near Marion, Ohio, where he cleared off the native forest, fenced, put up buildings, and planted and established a first class orchard.

Later he sold out and journeyed with an ox team to the wild but promising country of DuPage County, Illinois of which Mr. Blair sent them news. They arrived late in October 1835, took government land and proceeded to improve it as before. Here between where now exist Chicago and Elgin, at Wayne and Dunham street station, on March 9, 1836, Helen Mar Lamb was born.

Although working against terrible odds, Allen Lamb and wife always had a good home. A stone house was built by Allen Lamb and was on the land a few years ago and is probably still standing after about eighty years of use. Children in those days worked hard too.

In the mist of an ocean of wild, wind-swept prairie, thickly strewn with wild rose and masses of pinks and phlox in summer, and asters, yellow gumand and other beautiful flowers in the fall, with brilliant sumac on one corner of their farm, and grand oak and hickory trees forming part of their farm, a forest along the broad, beautiful Fox River, without the discord of man's ambitious attempts, such as exist today in that region, but with a wealth of nature's harmony, what better place for boys and girls?

With parents inspired by the faith that God's care includes His gift to us of a perfect Bible plain enough that the common people could understand God's purposes for them without other men's interpretations. Persons with such confidence despise the attempt of any who would give spiritual dictation excepting in Bible Language. Here is Protestantism coming down from generation unnumbered. It is not strange that such pioneers and their children and grandchildren took up a plea for all that stemed a help, toward the final union of all God's people in the ample truth of God. They ask no question for admission to the church, nor ask of any person excepting, "Do you believe with all thine heart that Jesus is the Christ the son of the living God?" This was the religious faith of Allen and Mary Lamb and of Helen Lamb and of others of the family going under the name of Disciples of Christ Church.

She had two older sisters who became respectively Mrs. Jane Curphey Havens and Mrs. Nancy Ide and also a younger sister who became Mrs. Janet Corbin.

Helen Lamb's education began by attending school when her two older sisters were not able to go.
Economy was practiced far more than younger America knows. Spelling books and Testaments were their reading books. For their other reading they read their father's favorite books, Burn's Poems and Dick's Mental Philosophies. Helen taught school in the home district. Two brothers, sixteen and nineteen years of age, volunteered for the Union. One, Ebenezer, was shot dead in the battle of Chickamauga, the other brother, John alexander, of Company G, 18th U.S. Regulars, was severely wounded in the same battle, but served to the close of the war. The mother and father were so broken by the loss of their only boys in war that they were both thrown into a decline from which they never recovered.

It was not strange that Edson Gaylord chose Helen Lamb as a wife for himself, a pioneer in Rock Grove township, Floyd County, Iowa. He had met her on this way here from Connecticut in 1853.

They were married on July 21, 1857**. She came to take care of his aged father, mother, and invalid sister. The bride made the log house a model of taste and neatness for about fifteen years, feeding and lodging a great number of people. They stayed where it was free and handy to the church, school, blacksmith shop, voting place and to Edson Gaylord's lime kilns and brick yards. Besides she had many boarders and farm hands, including the first surveyors for the C.M. & St. P. Railroad, until the trains ran. She taught school here in the early fifties.

Twice a year she, herself, whitewashed the sides and overhead of the two-story log house with extra applications when beating rains came through small openings in the chinking. She planed one floor of hewn lumber and boards by scrubbing. Indians now and then camped near and peeked in at the doors and windows. Sometimes most of the people became afraid of them and rushed past over the winding trails to the Mississippi River. Mr. and Mrs. Gaylord were among those who never quit for Indians or poor crops. Like many pioneer women, there were no homes in which she had not acted as nurse without pay in money. The family moved into their present brick home in 1872. Helen is the last living person to have signed the early town plats of Nora Springs.

Of her three children, the oldest and youngest, Wallace E. and Vienna H. are living at the same old home. A daughter, Myrtie, died at the age of 3 1/2 in 1869. Her husband, Edson Gaylord, passed away March 18, 1914. She mothered three nieces and nephew at different times for from seven to fifteen years.

Mrs. Gaylord never had her family alone until five years ago. Visitors were a multitude. With all she was not a stay-at-home, but actively engaged in all praiseworthy work of the community.

She was conscientious. She was always dependable and very informed in English literature, both classic and current, and in political and other matters concerning the world's progress and history. She had a social, merry spirit and could not long hold hatred in her heart. Of good constitution, naturally her health had been apparently improving for a year or so. Her fatal sickness was only 10 hours, a cold, sudden and severe, with indigestion brought heart failure on Wednesday, January 23, 1918. Her mind was very clear to the last when she beautifully voiced the communion of her soul with God.

In her favorite songs which were sung at the funeral, and in many other ways she evidenced a loving and repentant soul.

The earth is flecked with flowers,
Many tinted, fresh and gay;
The birdies warble blithely,
For my Father made them sae.
But these sights and those soun's
Will as naething be to me,
When I hear Angels singin'
In my ain country.

The funeral was held at the spacious home on Sunday, January 27, conducted by a former pastor and friend, Elder G. A. Hess, of Mount Pleasant. A large number of beautiful tokens were present and a large number of friends united in paying tribute to her memory.

Interment was in the family lot in the Rock Grove Cemetery.

Among those from out of town were: Mrs. Buena Burr of Charles City, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Chehock and Mrs. Julia Jackson of Clear Lake, John Curphey of Spirit Lake, and Mrs. Carl Edgington of Nebraska.

[31 JAN 1918]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTES:
** Illinois records indicate the actual marriage date was July 22, 1857.

Submitted to IaGenWeb by Joan Edmonson, Sept. 30, 2010