The Families That Play Together, Stay Together...
Part IV
The Helms/ Presley connection from NC to MS - Recent Links
From
President James K. Polk to Senator Jesse Helms and President Jimmy
Carter,to TheKin of Rock and Roll,the Helms/ Presley family connection
is one of the strongest links to the Presley clan. The Helms familyof
NC are descendants of Thomas Presley of North Carolina. Two descending
families of the original NC clan were known to have headed South.
Jonathan Helms and William Helmes (often variant spellings as is Preslar/Presley)
were living amid the Presleys in Pontotonoc and Itawamba Counties
in Mississippi.
Elvis in his sixth grade class picture
at Milam Jr. High School, Tupelo, Ms 1947-1948, graciously submitted
to photo sharing by his classmate, Evelyn Carter Helms (mid row
2nd from left. Betcha can't guess where Elvis is!!)
Elvis' mom, Gladys, and Evelyn's mom worked together at Reed's Manufacturing,a
Tupelo shirt factory. The two classmates, and others, walked to
the factory everyday after school, unknowing at the time that they
would ultimately share a common ancestry.
During Christmas break after the 7th grade, Elvis
and family moved away the rest is history.
Facinating
Fact:
Elvis wasn't the only celebrity in the family!
Don
Helms, "Drifting Cowboy,"
played steel guitar for Hank Williams, Sr. |
Elvis was living amongst many cousins he never
knew! At the time Elvis was becoming friendly with President
Jimmy Carter, neither had any idea that they were related.
Neither did Elvis know he was related to Sen. Jesse Helms and
to Oliver Winchester, {Elvis loved the rifle} of the Winchester
Rifle fame, country singer and former son-in-law of Johnny Cash,
Rodney Crowell.
The most awesome surprise comse with a family of kin and one
of the largest intermarriages into the Presley family from NC
origins is the Helms family. The Helms not only introduced many
brave men to the service of our country, many, many noted polititians
and presidents, but they also produced some multi-talented,
musical inspirations as legendary as cousin Elvis. Bobby Helms,
a distant cousin, and then there is the "steel guitar legand"
from our own Helms line of kin from Southern Alabama,
Don Helms
Don was the first steel guitar player for Hank
Williams, Sr., a member of Hank's legendary Drifting
Cowboys. "Your Cheatin' Heart," Cold, Cold, Heart,"
are just a couple of the songs that highlight the magic of that
Helms steel guitar.
Had Elvis only known this! Elvis knew Bernice Turner, a truly
wonderful, gifted lady of Memphis who replaced Helms as Williams
steel guitarist when Helms was called to the service of his
country.
Kin founder, Barbara Lee, got to meet
and talk with the lovely Bernice at Marlowe's Barbeque in Memphis.
She not only is a devout fan of Elvis and knew him, but also
had quite a collection of Elvis' personal furnishings which
she just recently sold. Bernice told Barbara Lee that she {Bernice}
is lucky to be alive after her near fatal bus collision. Nowadays,
she has God foremost on her mind, thanking Him everyday for
her life.
Today, Don Helms is 80 years old, married to Hazel,
a doting family man, and is still going strong. You can view
his MY SPACE page.
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Somehave discounted Sen. Helms family connection to Elvis. Sen.
Jesse Alexander Helms is, indeed, a cousin of Elvis as is President
Jimmy Carter, 9th President William Henry Harrison, President
James K. Polk and more.
Helms lineage charts still to come...
The
Very Special, Chris Noel
Another possible kin,yet still in
the early stages of research, was one of Elvis' very own "girls"from
Hollywood, Chris Noel.
The Kin of Rock and Roll will help Chris discover
her Culpepper family roots. Thomas Presley was married to Elizabeth
Culpepper. Alas! Chris Noel could have been that "kissin'
cousin" Elvis sang to! Also this would bring Chris into the
extensive Helms family line.
 Chris
Noel is a very special
person whose devotion and
loyalty to veterans everywhere is highly regarded. She left Hollywood
to go to Vietnam to entertain our boys and became a soldier, herself.
The Veterans community loves Chris Noel. She especially devotes
her time to helping homeless veterans. The
Kin of Rock and Roll
founder,
Barbara Lee, has had the good fortune to work alongside Chris,
both as members of The National Vietnam & Gulf War Veterans
Coalition.
Chris kindly shared with Barbara Lee some personal
memories of Elvis for whom she still has a great deal of respect.
According to Chris, Elvis spoke about serving in the military
and being patriotic, and he also loved to sing to her, singing
her name "Noel" in reverse! Ever the humorist was he.
Thanks, Chris! Love ya! Please vist her site at: Chris
Noel.Com
John Helms, now a Tennessee artist, knew Elvis'
and his mom and dad from when his (Helms) father owned a store
not far from Graceland.® He remembered Gladys as a sweet,
Christian woman. Helms was very good friends with Billy Mann,
his hair stylist and a third cousin of Elvis. Mann passed away
in a truck accident some time after he had taken the last photo
of Elvis (in his coffin) and, despite the families request for
privacy, sold the photo to the National Enquirer for $10,000.
Families
That Connect to Elvis!
 The
Hood/Gambrell Family Line
{prepared and submitted by Sam Gambrell}
The
Jasper Hood Line
(submitted by Barbara Lee Rowe and
Sheila Brown)
The Capt. Teunis
Hood Line
The
Henry Hargett Line
(prepared and submitted by Barbara Lee}
The Rowe Family Connections
(prepared and submitted by Barbara Lee Rowe)
Question: Elvis
designed his on-stage jumpsuits with capes after which favorite
cartoon hero? The answer is;
Captain
Marvel. Elvis,
since childhood, loved to read comic books and Captain Marvel
was a particular favorite. Elvis had his costume capes designed
from the idea originated by this caped-crusader.
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