Helen G. "Eileen" Flanagan, age 97, of Clearwater, Florida and formerly of Monmouth, passed away at 1:20 pm on August 4, 2010 at the Sylvan Health Care Center in Clearwater, Florida. Helen was born on March 15, 1913 at the Barry homestead near Raritan, Illinois. She raised in rural Raritan and attended the Barry rural school. She married John Leo Flanagan on February 24, 1937 at St.Patrick's Catholic Church in Raritan. Together they farmed all their married lives. She was very proud of her pioneer heritage and the fact that her family had deeded the land from their farm for St.Patricks Catholic Church. She was the last surviving grandchild of the Collins/Mcfarlane family of Roseville, and the Barry/Clark family in Raritan. Eileen loved her hometown of Raritan, Illinois. Her husband, John Leo, passed away May 19, 1994 and after that, in the year 2000, she moved to Clearwater, Florida to be with daughter up and to the present. Survivors include her daughters, Margaret (Richard) Lafferty of Alexis, Illinois; Elizabeth (William) Kasak of Clearwater, Florida; and Barbara (Jim) DeWispelaere of Davenport, Iowa. Their are twelve grandchildren, Lisa Johnson of Cambridge, IL; Timothy Lafferty of LaHarpe, IL; Debra Copeland of Venedy, IL; John Lafferty in Rome, Italy; Barbara Lafferty of Alexis, IL; Michelle Stevens of Aurora, IL; John Kasak of Lake City, FL; Kathryn Akbari of Orlando, FL; James, Jeff, and John DeWispelaere all of Davenport, IA; and Julie DeWispelaere of Cordova, IL. A special grandson, James Hertel of Orlando, FL. also is surviving. Eileen has seventeen great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren. She is preceded in her death by her parents, husband, four brothers, John, Joseph Barry, Robert Patrick Barry, Peter Vincent Barry, James David Barry and two sisters Mary Rosanne Lund and Mary Elizabeth Woerly.

Services: A Mass of the Christian burial will be at 10:30 am on Wednesday August 11, 2010 at the Immaculate Conception Church in Monmouth, Illinois. Interment will be in St.Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Monmouth. A rosary is to be recited on Tuesday evening at 6:30 pm at Turnbull Funeral Home in Monmouth, where her family plans to receive friends following the Rosary service. A memorial fund is being established for St.Patrick's Catholic Church of Raritan, Illinois or Immaculate Conception Church of Monmouth.

SOURCE: Turnbull Funeral Home