Stories the Way I Remember Them - The Stories of Noah Helmuth

Hello. My name is Paul Helmuth, and this podcast is a special series for me, because it’s a podcast where my grandfather tells the stories of his life, the way he remembers it.

My grandpa was born in the 1920's and grew up in the Amish community just outside Arthur, IL.

In this episode we'll talk about different jobs they did for other farms, we'll talk about the school he attended and also when he was called to serve in the church.

We start by talking about the farm they lived on with only 2 pastures and 10 cows. And then grandpa tells us about a landmark within Central Illinois, Rockome Gardens. My grandpa remembers working on their land to paint fence posts and we'll also hear him tell a story about the Al Brown farm where they made maple syrup.

Thank you for listening to my grandpa tell you just a few of his stories he remembers from when he was a growing up and as a young adult.

One story that he shared with me was the first time he had to sing a solo in school.  I can't tell you the first solo I ever sing, but obviously his was extremely memorable.

Thank you again for listening and join me for each episode as we explore the stories of Noah Helmuth, the way he remembers them. Have a great day.

Hello. My name is Paul Helmuth, and this podcast is a special series for me, because it’s a podcast where my grandfather tells the stories of his life, the way he remembers it.

Noah Helmuth grew up in central Illinois in the Amish community near Arthur. Born on April 12, 1924.

My grandpa died on January 12, 2021, just 3 months shy of his 97th birthday.

I've had the privilege of recording my grandfather on several occasions where either he or my grandma, who died a couple years ago, were able to tell the stories of their lives growing up and together.

In this episode grandpa tells us where he was born and the size of his family. He'll talk about his homemade toys and of course punishments that they would receive when they misbehave. He also talks about the battle with bumble bees, two barns fires and two horses named Perry.

One of the things that I learned about during this interview was that they used "rods" as a unit of measure for fields. So I asked my grandpa how long a rod was.

Since then, me being the nerd that I am, I had to look up what a rod measurement actually was.

A rod is a unit of length, equal to 11 cubits or 16.5 feet. A perfect acre is a 40 x 4 rod area. In old English units, a furlong is a strip that runs 40 rods, which is 660 feet. And a mile is 8 furlongs or 5,280 feet. Now you know.

Join me as we explore the stories of Noah B Helmuth.

Thank you for joining me in listening to Noah tell us the stories, the way he remembers them. We'll continue with more in the next episode. Have a great day.

Noah Helmuth was born in the 1920's in an amish community in central Illinois.  This podcast explores his stories about his life through the decades.  In this episode, Noah talks about wanting to date his future wife, Edna.