Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 643 - 644 

MRS. HELEN MARIAN VALENTINE, nee Briggs, residing upon section 6, in Attica Township, is the subject of this historical sketch. She is a lady of large business capacity and marked intelligence, and is distinguished in the records of Sedgwick County for her straightforward and womanly course, no less than for the tact and energy she has employed in her business affairs since her husband's death.

            Mrs. Valentine was born in the town of Sheldon, Wyoming Co., N. Y., Dec. 19, 1835, and is the daughter of Wheaton A. and Fanny (Barber) Briggs. Her father was a native of Rhode Island, born in 1790, and removed from his native State to Vermont, with his parents, while a mere child. He was reared upon a farm in the Green Mountain State, and moved to what was known as the Holland Purchase, a part of which is now Wyoming County, when about twenty-one years of age. His wife was born in Connecticut, in 1794, and was taken by her parents to the Empire State when about twelve years of age. She was united in marriage with Wheaton Briggs when she was about sixteen years old, when her husband settled upon Government land in Wyoming County, and in that locality reared a large family, of fifteen children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the twelfth. The names of the others are as follows: Lyman, Eunice, Alta, Antha, Orson, Jason, Sally, Adelia, Fanny, Aliva, Merritt, Dwight, Harriet and Pliny.

            The subject of this sketch received the benefits of a common-school education in her girlhood, and was united in marriage at the age of nineteen, May 30, 1853, with John G. Valentine, a native of New York, born March 12, 1830. About a year subsequent to the marriage Mr. Valentine and his wife removed to Green Lake County, Wis., where he followed the double occupation of farming and school-teaching, he having received a most excellent education in his youth. In 1865 the family removed to Whiteside County, Ill., where Mr. Valentine taught in the public school, and gave private music lessons, until 1872. In the latter year Mr. and Mrs. Valentine, with their little family, came to Kansas, and locating in Sedgwick County, her husband pre-empted the present homestead of 160 acres on section 6, where they settled in August of that year. After coming to this State, the husband of the subject of this notice devoted the most of his time to agriculture, teaching only one term. He improved the farm and brought it to an excellent state of cultivation, and was prominently identified with the development of this portion of Southern Kansas. He was a member of the Baptist Church, a sincere and Christian gentleman, and was called to his heavenly home Dec. 14, 1877. His widow and her family had the warmest sympathy of a large circle of friends and acquaintances, who all appreciated the inestimable worth of the noble man who had been taken from them. Throughout his life he had been a strong adherent of the Republican party, and a firm believer in the progressive nature of that organization.

            Since the death of her husband Mrs. Valentine has carried on the business of the homestead, assisted by her children, and has succeeded in demonstrating the fact that a woman is well qualified to carry on a farm successfully. She merits and receives the warmest respect and esteem of the whole community, and is much beloved by everyone with whom she comes in contact for her gentle ways and genial manner. She is the mother of ten children, of whom the following is a record: Jay, who was born Dec. 20, 1856, in New York, is married and lives in Finney County, Kan.; Nellie, born June 11, 1857, in Wisconsin, married Irin Smith, and lives in Kingman County, Kan.; Ada, born April 11, 1859, in Wisconsin, married J. W. LaHomadieu, and lives in Pennsylvania; Guy, born Nov. 6, 1860, died in infancy; Stanley, born Jan. 26, 1862, died in childhood; Ida, born July 20, 1864, married William Holloway, and died Nov. 20, 1884; Grant, whose birth took place Dec. 16, 1866; Marian, born Nov. 22, 1868; Antha, Nov. 30, 1870; and Georgia, May 21, 1874.

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