Vancouver / Names / H / Helmer

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Helmers

In the city directories 1940 · 13 people at nine addresses

The directories print 13 people named Helmer at nine addresses in 1940 in eight of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: four Helmers at 4180 Welwyn in 1940.

Reserve this family's book, freeThe name in every directory we hold from 1901 to 1945, at every address, each line with its page, to read here or save as a PDF. About $29 when orders open.

Where the Helmers lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. Two addresses aren't on today's map, so they have no pin. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    8221 Cartier Street

    Marpole, 1940

    • L Helmer, a machinist for R D Helmer 1940

    Next door in 1940: F L Puleston at 8235. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    1777 East 2nd Avenue

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • Rupert Helmer, on active service 1940

    Next door in 1940: H McLeman at 1771 and Mrs M MacIsaac at 1785. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    800 East Hastings Street

    Strathcona, 1940

    • Abner Helmer, a longshoreman 1940

    Next door in 1940: M Murakubo at 802. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    540 Helmcken Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Ivy Helmer 1940

    Next door in 1940: F Smith at 538 and E Schofield at 542. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1416 Parker Street

    Grandview-Woodland, 1940

    • H R Helmer, an operator at Restmore 1940

    Next door in 1940: H F Allan at 1410 and P C Foster at 1422. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    4180 Welwyn Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • Mrs H C Helmer, a saleswoman 1940
    • Constance G Helmer, a cashier at Woodward's 1940
    • Florence M Helmer 1940
    • Ruth A Helmer 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Bradner at 4172. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    4460 West 11th Avenue

    West Point Grey, 1940

    • F K Helmer, a salesman at the BC Electric Railway 1940

    Next door in 1940: Miss A Dodd at 4454 and J R D Paton at 4466. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    1558 West 28th Avenue

    Shaughnessy, 1940

    • R D Helmer, a sash and door manufacturer 1940
    • Dorothy E Helmer, a technician at the Provincial Board of Health Lab BC Government 1940

    Next door in 1940: W Walker at 1542 and W L Keate at 1576. The block, door by door

  9. 9

    996 West 6th Avenue

    Fairview, 1940

    • R D Helmer, a sash and door manufacturer 1940

    Next door in 1940: G W Sheppard at 976. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for nine of the 13: a cashier, a longshoreman, a machinist, an on active service, an operator and a salesman, among others.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Grandview-Woodland (2), Downtown, Fairview, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Marpole, Shaughnessy, Strathcona and West Point Grey. Each neighbourhood's page shows its trades, its people and every street in it, the way the directory printed them.

The story, address by address

In 1940 the directory lists L Helmer at 8221 Cartier Street. The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Leonard Helmer there as the householder, a machinist for R D Helmer. The 1940 name section lists Rupert Helmer at 1777 East 2nd Avenue, on active service. The 1940 name section lists Abner Helmer at 800 East Hastings Street, a longshoreman.

The 1940 name section lists Ivy Helmer at 540 Helmcken Street. H R Helmer is listed at 1416 Parker Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Harold R Helmer there, an operator at Restmore.

Mrs H C Helmer is listed at 4180 Welwyn Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Mrs Hilda C Helmer there as the householder, a saleswoman, with Constance G Helmer, a cashier at Woodward's, Florence M Helmer, and Ruth A Helmer. F K Helmer is listed at 4460 West 11th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Frederick K Helmer there as the householder, a salesman at the BC Electric Railway.

R D Helmer is listed at 1558 West 28th Avenue in 1940; the 1940 line is marked *: some member of the family owns the property, to the best of our knowledge (the directory's own mark). The 1940 name section lists Robert D Helmer there as the householder, a sash and door manufacturer, with Dorothy E Helmer, a technician at the Provincial Board of Health Lab BC Government. R D Helmer, a sash and door manufacturer, is listed at 996 West 6th Avenue in 1940.

Today

1777 East 2nd and 540 Helmcken still have their buildings from before 1946, 540 Helmcken on the Vancouver Heritage Register; 8221 Cartier (2021), 1416 Parker (2005), 4180 Welwyn (2009) and 4460 West 11th (1994) have newer buildings, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 800 East Hastings, 1558 West 28th and 996 West 6th, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 18 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, street section

The book of the Helmers

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Helmer name in each Vancouver directory we hold from 1901 to 1945: everyone printed under it at every address, their work from the name sections, who lived next door, and the page behind every line, to read here or save as a PDF to print or give.

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Sources

Henderson's and successor city directories for Vancouver, read by us line by line: the street sections for 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935, 1940 and 1945, and the name section for 1930 and 1940 where we've read it (Vancouver Public Library, BC City Directories). Names are shown through 1945, as printed. Close spellings are grouped, as on the house pages, since a family's name was often spelled differently from one year to the next; one name can still be several families, and we join lines only where the first names or initials agree. Many Chinese, Japanese and other residents weren't named by the canvassers, so they can't be listed by name: their houses' pages say where. More family names under H. Want a name removed? Tell us.