Name Age Place of Birth > Place of Death Newspaper Publication Date Submitter
HELLIGE, Bernard Sr67 Fort Madison IA>Breese IL Breese J 13 Jul 1950 Linda Holthaus 

Ben Hellige, Sr. Dies Suddenly at Home of Son Thursday

Heart Attack Causes Sudden Death of Breese Citizen Who Lived Here 50 Years.

Sudden death struck the Hellige family last Thursday, when the father, Bernard Hellige, expired at the home of his son, Bernard, in the north part of the city, as the result of a heart attack. He had been down town that morning, took care of some personal business matters and had stopped at the store of his son, Arthur, after which he went to his son, Bernard’s home, and shortly after arriving there, and while standing in the kitchen, reading a formula for the preparation of liquid food to give some pups, remembered that he could not read the instructions, and almost at the same time, fell forward to the floor, and death was instantaneous, the time being 9:15 a.m.

Mr. Hellige’s health has been poor for the past year or more. In May, 1949, he was ill with a heart ailment, at which time he quit working, but he has been quite active about his home and in visiting his children. The day before he had returned home from a trip to Fort Madison, Iowa, where he visited his two brothers. His wife and Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Hellige and family accompanied him, having gone there the Sunday before.

Deceased was born in Fort Madison, Iowa, November 25, 1882, the son of Bernard Hellige and Elizabeth (nee Schulte) Hellige. The family moved to Breese in 1900, and Mr. Hellige has lived here ever since being employed in the coal mines, working at Zeigler, Beckemeyer and in all three of the local mines, his last employment being at the North Mine where he was maintenance man.

November 16, 1904, Mr. Hellige was united in marriage to Miss Emma Kapp at Highland, and they made their home in Breese. Five children were born to them, a son, William, having died in infancy surviving and three sons, Arthur, Bernard and Victor of this city; and Leona, Mrs. Quinten Koch of Highland. He also leaves his wife, 12 grandchildren, two brothers, Jos. And William Hellige of Fort Madison, Iowa and a sister, Mr. Cath. Ludolph of Westphalia, Kansas.

He was a member of St. Dominic church, the Knights of Columbus, Western Catholic Union, Men’s Sodality and the Progressive Miners.

Funeral services were held Monday morning with a solemn high mass in St. Dominic church, the pastor, Rev. H.H. Aydt officiating. Burial was in St. Dominic cemetery. Pallbearers were: Ben Lampe, Dr. V. H. Eversgerd, Henry Hagen, Alois Hillen. 

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