Obituary
ELKHART -- Mary Coral Helvey, 72, of Elkhart, passed away early Monday morning, May 30, 2011, at her home.
She was born March 31, 1939, in Bourbon, to the late Guy Morris and Ethel L. (Hall) Roahrig. Mary was united in marriage to Don A. Helvey on Dec. 30, 1960, in Warsaw. Don passed away Nov. 21, 1996.
Surviving are her children, Christopher G. Helvey and his wife, Lynn Marie, of Taos, N.M., and Pamela D. DeBoy and her husband, Roger, of Kennesaw, Ga.; four grandchildren, Zachary E. DeBoy, Lee Ann McComas and Luke E. and Eli E. Helvey; three great-grandchildren Brianna DeBoy, Mathew McComas and Kai Helvey; brothers Morris "Jake" Roahrig and his wife, Jeanie, of Plymouth and Marvin L. Roahrig and his wife, Brenda, of Bourbon; and her sister, Martha A. Baker and her husband Bill of Plymouth.
Mary and Don made their home in Elkhart in 1967, where she had lived for almost 40 years before moving to Marietta, Ga., in 2005. She recently moved back to Elkhart. Mary worked for 18 years at Graphics Group Inc. She had many memberships including Psi Iota Xi since 1970, where she was the national editor and convention photographer, producing its national publication since 1994 through 2009. She was also a Society of Associates member of the Midwest Museum of American Art, where she had been a volunteer since 1979 and helped annually with the Juried Regional competition. Mary was a director emeritus of Elkhart Alano, Inc., a patron of the Elkhart Civic Theatre and a member of Mount Bethel UMC in Marietta where she was historian of the Contemporary Sunday School class. Mary was a former member of the Elcona County Club and a 1957 graduate of Bourbon High School. She enjoyed reading, gardening, traveling, visual and the performing arts. She will be greatly missed by all her cats.
A celebration of her life will be at 7 p.m. Friday, June 3, 2011, at Billings Funeral Home, 812 Baldwin St., Elkhart, where friends may visit with the family for two hours prior to the beginning of the service, Pastor Gary Sheets will officiate. At Mary's request, cremation has taken place with burial at a later date of her and Don's cremated remains at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Bourbon.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly request memorials be given to Midwest Museum of American Art, 429 S. Main St., Elkhart, IN 46516.
She was born March 31, 1939, in Bourbon, to the late Guy Morris and Ethel L. (Hall) Roahrig. Mary was united in marriage to Don A. Helvey on Dec. 30, 1960, in Warsaw. Don passed away Nov. 21, 1996.
Surviving are her children, Christopher G. Helvey and his wife, Lynn Marie, of Taos, N.M., and Pamela D. DeBoy and her husband, Roger, of Kennesaw, Ga.; four grandchildren, Zachary E. DeBoy, Lee Ann McComas and Luke E. and Eli E. Helvey; three great-grandchildren Brianna DeBoy, Mathew McComas and Kai Helvey; brothers Morris "Jake" Roahrig and his wife, Jeanie, of Plymouth and Marvin L. Roahrig and his wife, Brenda, of Bourbon; and her sister, Martha A. Baker and her husband Bill of Plymouth.
Mary and Don made their home in Elkhart in 1967, where she had lived for almost 40 years before moving to Marietta, Ga., in 2005. She recently moved back to Elkhart. Mary worked for 18 years at Graphics Group Inc. She had many memberships including Psi Iota Xi since 1970, where she was the national editor and convention photographer, producing its national publication since 1994 through 2009. She was also a Society of Associates member of the Midwest Museum of American Art, where she had been a volunteer since 1979 and helped annually with the Juried Regional competition. Mary was a director emeritus of Elkhart Alano, Inc., a patron of the Elkhart Civic Theatre and a member of Mount Bethel UMC in Marietta where she was historian of the Contemporary Sunday School class. Mary was a former member of the Elcona County Club and a 1957 graduate of Bourbon High School. She enjoyed reading, gardening, traveling, visual and the performing arts. She will be greatly missed by all her cats.
A celebration of her life will be at 7 p.m. Friday, June 3, 2011, at Billings Funeral Home, 812 Baldwin St., Elkhart, where friends may visit with the family for two hours prior to the beginning of the service, Pastor Gary Sheets will officiate. At Mary's request, cremation has taken place with burial at a later date of her and Don's cremated remains at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Bourbon.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly request memorials be given to Midwest Museum of American Art, 429 S. Main St., Elkhart, IN 46516.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Mary C. Helvey, please visit our flower store.
