Helen Elizabeth (Guy) WINSLOW CURRY

CURRY, WINSLOW, GUY

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 12/26/2011 at 15:17:43

Helen Elizabeth Curry
1913 - 2011

Helen Curry was a creative spirit who lived with a fierce determination to explore and conquer her dreams. Her proud father was a journalist at the Monitor Newspaper in Clarion, Iowa and her mother fashioned a life for them surrounded with beautiful art, flowers, books and wonderful food. Helen learned at a young age to have grit, as her father called it, and stick to her guns. This was especially true after she fell out of the rumble seat of the family car, and was found running down the dirt road after her family. You might say she never gave up!

When she was twelve years old, her father taught her to drive, and she would chauffeur her mother and little sister Esther around the country roads near Osage, Iowa. By now, her parents owned the local newspaper, and were known for their hospitality and intellect. Helen's mother was the first flapper in the county to cut her hair to a bob, which was shocking to some, but a marker of the determination bred into this family. It was such an attitude that took them to California, and Helen soon discovered her talent for singing! She was a musical star at USC during her college years, and married Dick Winslow after a romantic tour of the country as a singer in his band.

It was after becoming a mother to Judith Wynne that she began to create the extraordinary flower arrangements that became her passion. She learned to cook like her mother, and clean like a wizard. Helen was a member of her church choir, and taught her daughter to sing and dance. They had matching outfits and sang duets, and grew their favorite pink Cecile Brunner roses. Her marriage did not last, but her spirit for life grew strong.

Helen found a true love in Fred Curry, after swearing she would never marry again, and explored the world with her family for many years to come. Christopher Curry was soon a member with his own suitcase, traveling to Hawaii for Fred's career as a Commander in the U.S. Navy! Helen was the hostess with the mostest, famous for Cherries Jubilee and dinner parties! She devoured the scenery, learned to knit and plant an elaborate garden, and raised her children with a penchant for independent thinking.

The Curry family settled in Citrus Heights fifty years ago, and became a part of the community that grew into Sacramento culture. Fred Curry owned the Folsom Telegraph and they built their dream house. She was an elder at Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church, and designed flowers each Sunday for 30 years. She was a beloved member of PEO, and cultivated her home garden as a sanctuary of unusual plants and citrus. She was a cherished friend and confident, a strong supporter of the arts and her family, and a good neighbor. She never gave up on people, ideas or dreams, and will be remembered always for her acerbic wit, smile and loving heart.

Helen Curry is survived by her daughter J.W. Winslow, her son Christopher Curry and granddaughter Seychelle, and countless wonderful friends who loved her. A memorial service for Helen Elizabeth Curry will be held at Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church. 916-967-4784

The Sacramento Bee -- Sacramento, California
December 21, 2011

[nee Helen Elizabeth GUY]