Elvira Beck Helphrey 1915 - 1996

HELPHREY, FISK, BECK, PAULSON, COBERLEY, GOOCH

Posted By: Debbie (email)
Date: 12/29/2006 at 00:47:10

The Burlington Hawkeye, Saturday, May 4, 1996

Elvira Helphrey

Elvira Beck Helphrey, 80, of Phoenix, Ariz., formerly of Burlington and Yarmouth, died at 745 p.m. Wednesday, May 1, 1996, at Paradise Valley Hospital in Phoenix.

Born Nov. 13, 1915, at Yarmouth, she was the daughter of G. Henry and Laura Fisk Beck. On April 26, 1941, she married Verl DeWitt Helphrey at Yarmouth. He died Oct. 16, 1953.

Mrs. Helphrey was a teacher for 37 years. She taught at Union School No. 5 near Mount Pleasant, White Cloud School north of New London, and in Burlington at Corse, Sunnyside, North Hill and Apollo schools. She was a graduate of Yarmouth High School, Iowa Wesleyan College and received her master's degree from Western Illinois University. She was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, Phoenix. She was a past member of First United Methodist Church in Burlington and a member of Alpha Xi Delta sorority, Delta Kappa Gamma, Retired Teachers, PEO and Eastern Star. She gave piano lessons for many years and was an accompanist for many church groups.

Survivors include a son, Alan D. Helphrey of Davenport; a daughter, Holly Paulson of Phoenix, Ariz.; three grandchildren; a brother Charles Beck of Morning Sun; two sisters, Kathryn Coberley of New London and Anita Gooch of Mesa, Ariz.; and many nieces and nephews.

Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, a daughter and a brother.

Visitation will be after 4 p.m. on Sunday at Elliott Chapel, New London, where the family will receive friends from 7 to 830 p.m.

The funeral for Mrs. Helphrey will be at 1030 a.m. Monday at Elliott Chapel with the Rev. Shirley Hoffmann officiating. Burial will be in Trinity Cemetery, Mount Union.

A memorial has been established.