Elias Norman Helfer arrived in South Africa on March 12, 1910, aboard the Dover Castle. He was the son of Samuel Jacob Helfer and Gitel Miriam (Gertie Mary) Helfer, who were from Zidikae (Zhidik in Yiddish), Lithuania. Zidikae is 22 kilometers from Mažeikiai, which sent the Lax, Poliak, and Wald families to Vryburg. It appears he established himself in the Vryburg district and settled near Geluk on the road to Kuruman. His naturalization application was submitted in Vryburg the same year he arrived. According to his application, he was a teacher of Hebrew and German, and his brother-in-law, Benjamin Suchedowitz (Suchet), submitted the application. By that time, Benjamin had been in South Africa for 16 years and was married to Chana Pere Helfer. Benjamin arrived in South Africa in 1896 at the age of 23, returned to Russia in 1899, and married Chana Pere in December 1900. They were first cousins.

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As early as 1919, Elias or Eli sold his Geluk liquor license to the Bayer family. Eli operated a store in Geluk and owned three nearby farms: Putpan, Geluk, and Warden. He also briefly hosted and worked with his nephew, Simon Maurice Suchet, whose mother, Chana Pere, was his sister. In 1937, Chana Pere lost her husband, who shortened his surname from Suchedowitz to Suchet. Simon Suchet married Fannie Katzin (Katzen) in 1926. Although they were married in Cape Town, they are listed as living in Geluk. Their son Herbert was born in Vryburg on December 9, 1928.

 

Elias had a second sister, Sara Rachel Joffe, who died in Cape Town in 1946. According to his will, Elias had a brother, Harry Shulman, who moved to the USA. It appears Elias had a non-Jewish life partner, Susanna Johanna Botes. She managed the Geluk store and inherited it. It is unknown if they had children. Susanna was the daughter of WJ Botes, who was the foreman of Putpan and Geluk. Botes and his wife, along with Warden's foreman, van Vuuren, received money in Elias's will. Elias was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Vryburg.