Robert Helbig had quite the life as documented in newspaper articles and the Town of Liberty History book. From working at the Indian school, being gored by a bull, having a daughter die by strychnine, being stabbed in a logging camp, lost in the woods and falling in a cold creek. ## 1882 Indian School He settled in Santa Fe, NM where he worked at an Indian school in Albuquerque.  The following is an excerpt from the Indian School Book:  Opening of the fall term, in October, 1882, found the Indians favorable to sending their children to this school, and succeeded in securing an attendance of eighty-six pupils, sixty-five boys and twenty-one girls. Additional accommodations had to be immediately made for such an unexpected increase in numbers. Rough wooden structures were thrown up, but to make their quarters more comfortable the boys built an adobe wall on the out side, a la Indian, which makes them feel quite at home. The following is the corps of instructors : R. W. D. Bryan, superintendent; Miss Mariette Wood, Miss Lita A. Butler and Mrs. L. F. Tibbals, assistant teachers; Mr. Robert Helbig, industrial teacher; Miss M. H. Patten, matron; Miss L. H. Patten, assistant matron; Miss Salome Verbeck, seamstress; Miss Clara E. Chaddock, laundress; Mrs. Robert J. Helbig, cook. The United States does not pay sufficiently for the labor performed and expenses necessarily incurred, consequently much of it has to be made up by the generosity of the people. This school is in good hands, and should be sustained by a philanthropic and generous public. Nothing pleases the scholars more than to see visitors at their school, and the urbane superintendent takes great pains that his visitors receive proper attention. 1882-10-23 - The kitchen, under the direct charge of Miss Patten, is neat and clean, and the store room connected with it is filled with all sorts of food, the largest portion of course being light, fine bread, baked in an adobe oven at the school, by Robert Helbig, his wife Mrs, Helbig, being the cook. ## July 5th, 1889 - Santa Fe, NM ![[Helbig, Robert - Newspaper 1889-07-05 - Santa Fe New Mexican - cherry tree fight.png|400]] ## July 21st, 1891 - Santa Fe, NM ![[Helbig, Robert - Newspaper 1891-07-21 - Santa Fe New Mexican - Snake.png|400]] ## August 17th, 1898 ![[Helbig, Robert - Newspaper 1898-08-17 Santa Fe New Mexican - Barbara death.png|400]] ## March 24th, 1900 - Santa Fe, NM ![[Helbig, Robert - Newspaper 1900-03-24 Las Vegas Daily Optic - Fire.png|400]] ## August 14th, 1900 - Santa Fe, NM ![[Helbig, Robert - Newspaper 1900-08-14 Santa Fe New Mexican - Bull attack.png|400]] ## May 23rd, 1901 - Santa Fe, NM ![[Helbig, Robert - Newspaper 1901-05-23 Santa Fe New Mexican - Wedding Emma.png|400]] ## June 4th, 1902 - Santa Fe, NM ![[Helbig, Robert - Newspaper 1902-06-04 - Health seeker death.png|400]] ## August 4th, 1904 - Santa Fe, NM ![[Helbig, Robert - Newspaper 1904-08-04 Las Vegas Daily Optic - Visit.png|400]] ## November 21st, 1905 - Dawson City, MN ![[Helbig, Robert - Newspaper 1905-11-21 Bemidji Pioneer - Stabbing.jpg|400]] ## October 4th, 1918 - Long Lake, MN ![[Helbig, Robert - Newspaper 1918-10-04 Bemidji Pioneer - Fire.jpg|400]] ## Liberty Township History Robert appeared in the “Liberty Township History” book. Some of the info provided there includes” Robert Helbig helped build some of the roads in Liberty Township.  He helped lay the corduroy on the Long Lake road.  This corduroy is still on this road.  IT was found when some work was recently done on the road.  Robert was one of the men who helped move a house for George Elliot.  This was told about in the story of George Elliot.  Robert was always doing work of some kind much of it for his neighbors. Later on he lived in Fred's house on the south shore of Long Lake.  This house burned down and he rebuilt it.  His granddaughters used to come out to visit him.  They became acquainted with a neighbor girl, Edith Hayes.  They often went boarding together on Long Lake. Robert Helbig always had a garden.  He also planted many flowers around his house and yard.  Years later one could find lots of those flowers in the area where the house had been.  One of his favorites was Sweet William, which bloomed year after year. One time when Robert had been visiting his daughter, Francis Sundh, he had started for home.  It was getting late and so it was dark before he had gone very far.  He headed for home through the woods around the west end of Long Lake.  He got too far to the west and got lost.  Someone heard him hollering and they went to look for him.  They found him and took him home.  It was cold weather, so it was good they found him. George Elliot - Since there was no house on the part where the barn and other farm buildings were, George decided to move the house from the north part.  Alvin and Glen Jacobson recall the story that their father told about the house moving.  George got a group of neighbors together, including Rutherford Hayes with his team of horses.  Ole and Amund Jacobson, Lewis Hanson, Robert Helbig, Charlie Sundh, and probably others helped.  They put logs under the house to use as rollers.  These had to be even and kept even under the house as they rolled it.  Rutherford used a stump puller to pull the house.  They put large logs across a stream, so they could cross it.  As the house rolled along they had to make sure the logs rolled evenly.  As they crossed the stream, old Mr. Helbig fell in.  Someone grabbed him by the shirt collar and pulled him out, but that didn't deter him, he kept on helping wherever he could.  They finally go the house over the creek and to where they wanted it to be.  This house had a kitchen and living room downstairs, with the bedrooms upstairs.  George had a porch built on the side of the kitchen entry. When Robert could no longer live alone, his daughters took turns keeping him in their homes and caring for him.  He was living with Maria Klasen, when he passed away on December 17, 1937 at the age of 87.  (This information was in the "Death Records of Liberty Township").  Herman Klasen reported his death to the clerk of Liberty Township.  Robert was buried in Bemidji. I received this story from Linda Klavano: I spoke to my Aunt Clara this summer. She is still living in Texas and recently celebrate her 91st birthday. She is still living on her own and very alert. I'd always wondered why she and my mother graduated high school the same year (they were two years apart in age). Clara stayed home a year and took care of Robert Helbig during his final year of life. He was bed ridden and needed bandages on his legs changed and dressed. I didn't understand what he died from. Clara shared it was very difficult for her as a 13 yr. old to handle his declining health. She was taking him soup for lunch and when she entered his room he was dead.