Our First Congregates

Frances Sawyer Helm Mrs. Helm was on the first communicant list of November 16, 1879, was the first to sign the By-Laws of St. James Guild in 1890, after heading the Women's organization that preceded it, and served on the Board for many years. Because of a growing family, her husband William Helm, a pioneer sheep and grain man, bought the block bounded by Fresno, R, Merced and S Sts. from Mr. Einstein, built his home there in 1881 where it stood for 71 years. As their daughters married, Mr. Helm gave them parts of the block on which to build their homes so that there was a virtual "Helm Commune" there. This block is now the site of the Fresno Community Hospital. The Helm home was the scene of many St. James' Guild social affairs, the minutes of the Guild for February 16, 1892, state that the Violet Tea would be held at Mrs. Helm's "who offered her home as she is always willing to do".

Her life with the church may best be recorded by this passage from the vestry minutes of May 4, 1906:

"Resolved: That this vestry, on behalf of themselves and the members of the congregation desire to place on record their sense of the great loss that this parish has sustained by the death of Mrs. William Helm. From the time this church was organized over 25 years ago, she was always the foremost and most loyal supporter of the many charitable and good works connected with the parish, and later in the building of the new church and rectory. The vestry take this opportunity to record their indebtedness for the great and many services rendered to the church by Mrs. William Helm."

Maud Armenia Helm

The youngest of the 7 Helm children. The other 6 were baptized on Thursday May 11, 1878 by the Rev. W. C. Powell who was on a Missionary trip to the Valley.

Maud Helm was baptized June 15, 187? at the MES Meeting House, the first baptism listed in the first parish register by D. O. Kelly. Several of the children remained very active in the parish. Fannie Helm married Ernest Wal??? who was vice president of the First National Bank and served on the vestry in 1894.

Maud married attorney Milton Dearing and continued to be active in the church. She was an officer of the St. Agnes Guild (that was in our church, not the hospital) and when she was President of the St. Margaret's Guild in 1905 her ladies put the light brackets in the chancel "as it was always impossible to read the service in the dim light."

Agnes Helm was leader of the choir in 1898 and again from 1907 - 1909. In later years, as Mrs. Montgomery Thomas, she served a number of terms as the President of the Women. She was Program Chairman for the Semi-Centennial in 19??. The list in the Cornerstone of the 1901 Church members and firms who subscribed to the building included Montgomery Thomas, Mrs. Walrond, F ? George and Maud Helm.

The original pipe organ in St. James was built in 1910 and in January 1911 was dedicated as a memorial from her family to Frances Sawyer Helm.

Dr. H. St. George Hopkins

His office was on the 2nd floor of the Temple Bar building, corner of Mariposa and Van Ness. He and his family were listed in the first Parish Register as of Dec. 25, 1881 and he was the first junior warden of the first vestry when we became a parish April 1, 1888. He served in this capacity for two more years.

William M. Hughes and Corinne Ferguson Hughes Thomas E. Hughes was not active in the Episcopal Church having remarried to a lady who was a prime mover in the Christian Science Church. However his sons seemed to have remained in this faith. This is his youngest son, William M. Hughes who was born in 1858.

This is William's wife, who was born in 1872. This picture was taken in 1891. William and Corinne were the parents of Arza Hamilton whom many of you know as a long time member of St. James' and a diligent worker in the Women's Guilds.

These are not all our ladies. This is the first Board of the YWCA, March 27, 1904.

Our parishioners are 1, Mrs. Lewis P. Swift; 2, Mrs. G. C. Grimes; 3, Mrs. J. D. Rhodes and 4, Mrs. W. A. Mowat - all active in our women's work.

Mrs. Swift's daughter told us that our ladies were in an uneasy position on this board, as the Y did not allow Roman Catholics, and since the Episcopalians were not Evangelical enough they were only tolerated, not really well received.

William Walker Phillips In an 1882 County History W. W. Phillips is listed as the Director of the Farmers Bank of Fresno and one of the members of the Fresno Hook and Ladder Co., the volunteer Fire Department organized in Feb. 1877. He appears on the list of donors found in the cornerstone of the 1901 church. He was first elected to the vestry May 21, 1906. He became Senior Warden in 1910 when St. James' sent the proposal to the Bishop to become a pro-cathedral (which it did in 1911) and he served as Senior Warden through 1916.

In the minutes it is obvious that he gave a tremendous amount of time to the church, he was involved in much of the financial business of the church, and references are made to his visits to the Bishop - a trip to San Francisco not being the easy journey it is now.

Elizabeth Phillips' name appears frequently in the women's minutes with many references to how "Mrs. Phillips has kindly offered us her house and grounds for a social", but her family says that she was very camera-shy and we do not have a picture of her. On March 17, 1916 there was a final vestry meeting to pass a resolution offered to the Phillips family which said in part: "The sudden passing of Mrs. W. W. Phillips has come as a great shock to this community, and especially to the congregation of St. James' Pro-Cathedral, of which she has been so faithful a member.

Sidney L. Strother He was born in 1867 but not baptized and confirmed until age 31, in 1899, at which time he adopted his wife's religion and went on to be one of the most dedicated workers for our church. He was first elected to the Vestry in December 1899, served through 1908, was re-elected in 1914 and served through 1916. For a lage portion of his time on the vestry he was the treasurer of the church. He is also on the list of donors found in the cornerstone of the 1901 church. He was the Toastmaster of the Semi-Centennial Program in 1930.

Miss Anne Mattei picture taken in 1904 Father, Andrew Mattei came to Fresno County in 1890, settling near Fowler. He was a grape grower who made wine and brandy. He bought much real estate and built the Mattei Building in 1921. This became the Fresno Guarantee Savings Building in 1961. In the account of the Chrysanthemum Fete put on by the St. James' Women at the Parlor Lecture Club on Nov. 3, 1911, mention is made of one feature of the entertainment, "A German song given by Miss Anne Mattei". The original Helm organ was rebuilt in 1928 when the church's organ chamber was enlarged. More additions were made in 1945 when Anne Mattei Andersen and Teodolinda Mattei Gleason donated a new console to the church in memory of their parents, Andrew and Elanor Mattei. Anne Mattei Andersen was active for years in the Women's Guilds of the church.