CONLEY, Helen G. 1923-2001

CONLEY

Posted By: Kermit Kittleson
Date: 5/7/2011 at 14:34:40

HELEN G. CONLEY

NORTHWOOD, IOWA - Helen G. Conley, 78, of Northwood, formerly of Des Moines, died Monday (Aug. 27, 2001) at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City.

A prayer service will be held at 7 p.m. today at Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home, Highway 65 S. in Northwood, with the Rev. Allan Stoa officiating.

Her funeral will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday at the First Church of the Open Bible, 2200 Beaver Ave. in Des Moines, with the Rev. Harry Russell officiating. Interment will be in the Resthaven Cemetery in West Des Moines.

Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home in Northwood.

Helen (McCoy) Conley was born on May 7, 1923, in Chariton, to Gene and Hazel (Vawter) McCoy. She attended school in Chariton and Des Moines, where she graduated from Lincoln High School.

Helen was a WAVE, and after World War II attended Hamilton Business College in Mason City. She was married to Dewey Conley and had one son, Stephen.

At the age of 28, Helen was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Because of her illness, she retired in 1966, after years of working for the federal government.

Following the death of her husband, Helen's health problems became more severe. She sold her home in Des Moines, and moved to the Willows in Mason City. She lived here nearly eight years. She became a resident of the Lutheran Retirement Home in December 1998.

Though she had severe health problems, Helen had a positive mental attitude. She watched many hours of TV, played word games, enjoyed her friends and all the family visits.

Helen was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Dewey Conley; son, Stephen Conley; and brothers, Ervin McCoy and Ralph McCoy.

She is survived by two granddaughters, Janis (Shawn) Ward, and Jodi (Mark) Lewis; great-grandson, Cody Conley; one daughter-in-law, Cordie Conley, all of Des Moines; two brothers, Merrill McCoy, of Strawberry Point, and John Moore, of Coos Bay, Ore.; three sisters, Maxine (Paul) Tantow, of Mason City, Colleen (Byford) Rogness, of Emmons, Minn., and Wilma (Chet) Amundson, of Fertile; and many nieces and nephews.

Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home, (641) 324-1121.

Globe Gazette -- ncigs.org