Oliver Henry Helsel
A Crushed Man.
On both sides of my family, it is common to incorporate our grandparents’ names in some way, shape, or form. I received my full name from my grandfather, Larry Moses Claar (though I have now legally changed it to Moses Martin Claar) to still honor my grandfather on my dad’s side but not share the dreadful name of my father.
My grandfather got his middle name, Moses, from his grandfather, Moses Martin Claar, who in turn got his middle name from his grandfather, Martin Dively. On my mother’s side, it is no different: my grandfather Charles got his middle name from his grandfather, John William Smith, and my great-grandfather Robert Oliver Leedy got his middle name from his grandfather, Oliver Henry Helsel.
I published a small writing on Moses a few months back, and I plan to write about Martin Dively after I meet with Bryan Musselman, the current owner of the Dively farm on Ski Gap Road in Claysburg, PA
The story of Oliver.
My great-great-grandfather, Oliver Henry Helsel, was born in Freedom Township on July 30, 1887, to Samuel and Barbara (Feather) Helsel. Raised in the area, he attended local public schools and was a member of the Leamersville Church of the Brethren. On December 18, 1907, he married Mary Christina “Teenie” Butler, with whom he raised ten children: nine daughters Mrs. Clara (Joseph) Dively, Mrs. Bessie (Ross) Lingenfelter, Mrs. Mary (Herman) Weyandt, Mrs. Elma (Leonard) Dodson, Mrs. Florence (Ray) Dibert, Mrs. Ana (James) Weyandt, Mrs. Barbara (Oscar) Leedy, Mrs. Margaret (Blair) Miller, Mrs. Aldine (Herbert) Walter and one son Samuel “Elvie” (Virgina).
Oliver worked for 20 years with the Pennsylvania Railroad in Altoona, where he last served in the Car Repair Shops. During wildfire seasons, he also served as a local fire patrol warden for Greenfield Township.
He and Teenie lived in East Freedom on present-day Hidden Hollow Road, about a mile from the Freedom Township line and just down the road from my great-grandparents Louella and Robert. Oliver and Teenie’s original home no longer stands; it was later burned down by my grandfather’s distant cousin, Jack Helsel.
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Prohibition and Personal Struggles
Oliver struggled with severe alcoholism. During Prohibition, he peddled alcohol alongside his brother-in-law, Charles Butler. Together, they ran a still supplying bootleg alcohol throughout East Freedom and Claysburg. Charles suffered the loss of his daughter, Lois, and later committed suicide in 1949 after his wife left him.
Oliver was a well-known regular at the local taverns, frequently patronizing the East Freedom Tavern, “Bull” Snyder’s (owned by William L. “Bull” Snyder), and the Dodson Tavern (owned by David and Alma Dodson **not to be confused with his daughter Elma). Because Oliver did not drive, he routinely walked everywhere around East Freedom.
The Fatal Accident and Tragic End.
On the night of his death, November 13, 1944, an intoxicated, 57-year-old Oliver was stumbling home along Route 22 (about one mile south of East Freedom) around 8:30 p.m.
A motorist from Blue Knob, Joseph Hoffman, spotted Oliver on the road and narrowly avoided hitting him. Just minutes later, a northbound 12-ton Petroleum Transport Company tanker carrying 5,500 gallons of gasoline being driven by 34-year-old Orma William Phillips of Cumberland, Maryland struck Oliver, who was walking south toward his home in the direction of Claysburg.
Phillips swerved his truck to avoid him, but the right front fender and headlight struck him. He was then thrown directly beneath the vehicle, and the heavy dual wheels of both the truck and semi-trailer passed over his entire body. Oliver suffered catastrophic head, chest, and body injuries, resulting in instant death. The official death according to his death certificate was lacerations of the brain.
Orma Phillips was questioned by Blair County Coroner Dr. Daniel M. Replogle and the Pennsylvania State Police. Phillips was later released without charges.
