Marriage Record 1850
Jacob marrid Sarah Flowers in June of 1850. His brother Simon was present at their wedding as a witness. Shortly after they left for California to strike it rich in the California Gold Strike Era.
Jacob moved back to Missouri with his wife Sarah and brother Simon and his family. As you can see from the Census they both ended up having their first child in California while they were mining for Gold. Jacob came back and worked as a Sawyer (someone who saws wood, particularly using a pit saw either in a saw pit or with the log on trestles above ground or operates a sawmill.) His brother worked as a hatter. Sarah and Rebecca were sisters from Kentucky that the brothers met while their family lived there for a short time.
Jacob left for the Civil War enlisting in Company B Missouri 9th Infantry. While he was gone Sarah died leaving her small children to be orphans.
Jacob W. Helm died of Paralysis in October 1879. He was 45 years old. He left Nancy who was 26 yrs. old and five small children.
1880 Census Union, Arkansas
Jacob died of paralysis the previous year at the age of 45 years old and Nancy was on her own at the age of 26 yrs old. Still a very young mother with small children under foot, she needed the help of a man around the farm. She enlisted the help of her brother Peter Goza, who came to live with her and do the farm labor until her boys had grown big enough to take care of her.
In 1885 Nancy applied to receive 160 acres of land in Union, Arkansas stating she was the widow of Jacob W Helm