PEORIA HEIGHTS - Helen R. Church, 91, of Peoria Heights died at 9:10 a.m. Saturday, July 7, 2007, at Manor Care Health Services in Peoria.
She was born Aug. 16, 1915, in Buffalo, Ky., the daughter of Herbert and Ilema (Timothy) Roark. She married Harold Church in 1939. He survives.
Also surviving are two daughters, Nancee (Nicholas) Vespa of Peoria and Patricia (Ralph) Johansen of Columbus, Ind.; one son, Stephen (Kathy) Church of Peoria Heights; seven grandchildren, Jennifer (Jeff) Ryckaert of Arlington Heights, Nicholas (Renee) Vespa of Germantown Hills, Laurel Johansen and Sarah (Eric) Cannon, both of Indianapolis, Ind., Jason (Erin) Church and Matthew Church, both of Peoria, and Dr. Justin Church of North Carolina; and three great-grandchildren, Nicholas Roark Vespa, Addison Church and Douglas Cannon.
Helen was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers; and a grandson, Douglas Church Johansen, in 2004.
Reared on a farm in Stark County, she attended Stark County schools. After earning her teaching certificate at Illinois State University at Normal, she taught for several years at the Saxon one-room school in Stark County. She later joined her husband in their business, Kelly Seed and Hardware, where she worked for nearly 50 years.
She was a member of the Peoria chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution, a charter member of Pimiteoui Chapter Colonial Dames XVII Century, Peoria Garden Club and the Peoria Historical Society.
Helen enjoyed spending time with her children and grandchildren at the family farm and antiquing with her daughters in Indiana and Kentucky.
Visitation will be on Tuesday, July 10, 2007, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Woolsey-Wilton Funeral Home in Peoria. Funeral services for Helen will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 11, at the funeral home, with the Rev. Joe Seese of Peoria Heights Congregational Church officiating. Interment will be in LaFayette Cemetery in LaFayette, Ill.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Peoria Heights Congregational Church, where Helen was a member for 60 years, or Friendship House of Peoria.
Tributes and condolences may be submitted to www.mem.com.
.
Published in Peoria Journal Star on July 9, 2007
PEORIA HEIGHTS - Helen R. Church, 91, of Peoria Heights died at 9:10 a.m. Saturday, July 7, 2007, at Manor Care Health Services in Peoria.
She was born Aug. 16, 1915, in Buffalo, Ky., the daughter of Herbert and Ilema (Timothy) Roark. She married Harold Church in 1939. He survives.
Also surviving are two daughters, Nancee (Nicholas) Vespa of Peoria and Patricia (Ralph) Johansen of Columbus, Ind.; one son, Stephen (Kathy) Church of Peoria Heights; seven grandchildren, Jennifer (Jeff) Ryckaert of Arlington Heights, Nicholas (Renee) Vespa of Germantown Hills, Laurel Johansen and Sarah (Eric) Cannon, both of Indianapolis, Ind., Jason (Erin) Church and Matthew Church, both of Peoria, and Dr. Justin Church of North Carolina; and three great-grandchildren, Nicholas Roark Vespa, Addison Church and Douglas Cannon.
Helen was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers; and a grandson, Douglas Church Johansen, in 2004.
Reared on a farm in Stark County, she attended Stark County schools. After earning her teaching certificate at Illinois State University at Normal, she taught for several years at the Saxon one-room school in Stark County. She later joined her husband in their business, Kelly Seed and Hardware, where she worked for nearly 50 years.
She was a member of the Peoria chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution, a charter member of Pimiteoui Chapter Colonial Dames XVII Century, Peoria Garden Club and the Peoria Historical Society.
Helen enjoyed spending time with her children and grandchildren at the family farm and antiquing with her daughters in Indiana and Kentucky.
Visitation will be on Tuesday, July 10, 2007, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Woolsey-Wilton Funeral Home in Peoria. Funeral services for Helen will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 11, at the funeral home, with the Rev. Joe Seese of Peoria Heights Congregational Church officiating. Interment will be in LaFayette Cemetery in LaFayette, Ill.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Peoria Heights Congregational Church, where Helen was a member for 60 years, or Friendship House of Peoria.
Tributes and condolences may be submitted to www.mem.com.
.
Published in Peoria Journal Star on July 9, 2007
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
