"Dear Charlie, My most sincere condolences at the passing of your Mother. You may not remember me, but I was your 8th grade Language Arts teacher. Also, your grandmother, Helen Juneman, was my piano teacher when I was a child. It is never easy to lose a loved one. You are in my thoughts and prayers."
In loving memory of
Mary Helen Easterly
February 13, 1923 - May 5, 2010
Mary Helen Easterly, 87, of Maquoketa, Iowa, died on Wednesday afternoon, May 5, 2010, at Luther Manor in Dubuque, Iowa.
A celebration of her life will be held at 10 A.M., Monday, May 10, 2010, from the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Maquoketa, Iowa, with Father Tom McDermott officiating. Visitation will be held from 2 to 4 P.M. on Sunday, May 9, 2010, at the Carson & Son Funeral and Cremation Services in Maquoketa, Iowa. Burial will be in the Bushnell Cemetery, Bushnell, Illinois.
Mary Helen (Juneman) Easterly was born on February 13, 1923 east of Adair, Illinois to Ernst Carl August Juneman and Helen Veronica (Heffner) Juneman. She was a 1941 graduate of Bushnell High School and a 1944 graduate of Western Illinois State Teachers College in Macomb, Illinois. She married Charles Miel Easterly, Jr. August 30, 1952. He preceded her in death in February of 1953.
Mary Helen worked as a junior high school English teacher in Milledgeville, Illinois, a bank teller at Farmers & Merchants State Bank in Bushnell, Illinois, and as head secretary for the company president at Vaughn & Bushnell in Bushnell, Illinois, where the modern hammer was developed. She later worked as a housekeeper & bookkeeper for Father J. Richard Fagan at St. John's in Walnut, Illinois and then for Father Fagan & Father Dave Heinz at St. Anne's in East Moline, Illinois. One of her greatest accomplishments was being the bookkeeper when the new St. John's Church was built. After moving to Maquoketa, Mary Helen first worked for Scenic Valley on Aging at the Maquoketa Senior Center and then for 15 years at Briggs Elementary School as a first grade associate.
Mary Helen was a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Maquoketa, Iowa and was a charter member of the Sisters of St. Francis. She was an avid reader who loved to write poetry and sent all her friends and family a very special Christmas poem each December. Mary Helen often took time to write letters of encouragement to friends & family who were experiencing sadness and stress. For over 30 years she prayed "The Office" in the middle of the night. Mary Helen prayed the rosary morning and night and offered it up for her family, whom she loved very much.
Mary Helen is survived by her son Charlie (Cathy) Easterly of rural Maquoketa, IA; 2 grandchildren, Jamie (Kelly) Nabb of rural Lowden, Iowa and Brian (Jenny) Nabb of rural Preston, Iowa; 4 great-grandchildren, Noah, Nathan, Jaydon, and Jacob; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, a sister, and a brother.
A Mary Helen Easterly memorial fund has been established.
Online Condolences may be left at www.CarsonAndSon.com.
Tributes
"Charlie, Cathy & family, I am sorry for your loss. I did not have the opportunity to meet Aunt Mary Helen. My prayers are with your family."
"Charlie and Cathy, I am so sorry for the loss of your Mom. I am thrilled we got the opportunity to meet Aunt Mary Helen and loved writing back and forth with her. She was a very special."
"to the family of mary helen. i am very sorry for your loss. she worked with my mom and grandmother at the senior center. she was a very loving and caring person, and would do anything for anyone. once again you are in my thoughts and prayers."
"Charlie- I am saddened to hear about the loss of your mother. May you remember her with happiness, not sadness and may she live on forever in the hearts of you and the rest of her family."
"So sorry to hear of Marys passing she was such a great woman!! The kids and I always enjoyed delivering her Meals on Wheels to her. Mary would always tell me what kind children I have and that I should be so proud of them. I am honored to have called her my friend and we will certinaly miss her."
"So sorry to hear of Marys passing she was such a great woman!! The kids and I always enjoyed delivering her Meals on Wheels to her. Mary would always tell me what kind children I have and that I should be so proud of them. I am honored to have called her my friend and we will certinaly miss her."
"I\'m sorry for your loss, Mary Helen will be missed. Take care Charlie & Cathy."
"I didn\'t know your Mom personally but from hearing Charlie talk about her I knew she was a special lady. I can see where Charlie get his compassion. I\'m sorry to hear about her death. My thoughts and prayers are with the Easterly family."
"Charlie and Cathy--my deepest sympathy in the loss of your dear loved one--your Mom. I never had the honor of meeting her, but I know you--Charlie--and the kindness and compassion that you have and show to others----She had to be a beautiful person to have a son like you! May God\'s strength be with you now and in the days of grieving to come! Love Glennda "
"We are so sorry to hear of the loss of Mary Helen. I remember the beautiful letter she wrote to me after Liz was born. She was such a sweet lady who was so proud of her family. You have our deepest sympathy."
"Charlie,I am so sorry to hear of your mother\'s passing. I know from our conversations that family is very important to you and I\'m sure that was passed onto you from your mother. Please know your family is in our thoughts and prayers."
"Charlie, Cathy, & family~ I am sorry to hear of the loss of your dear loved one. She had to have been one special lady with tremendous compassion to have a son like you, Charlie. Hold on to all the beautiful memories and know you are in our heartfelt prayers. Penny, Colter, & Keegan"
"Charlie and family, Mary Helen has touched numerous lives in so many ways. She was such a special woman and she passed on her gifts of empathy and compassion to her son, Charlie. She does live on through her accomplishments and through her family and all those she has influenced throughout her lifetime. I am honored to have had the opportunity to know her. No matter the circumstances, losing a loved one always brings a sense of pain and sorrow but may the joyful memories you share also bring you a measure of peace in your hearts and a smile to your face."
"Dear Charlie,Cathy& family I\"m so sorry to hear about your mother\"s passing. I enjoyed working with Mary Helen when I student taught in first grade at Briggs. My thoughts & prayers are with you durning this difficut time."
"Charlie and Kathy, thinking of you on these sad few days...Got to know Mary Helen thur doing meals on wheels...she was one of my favorite to deliver and visit with... always a come on in for a few minutes to viewing of pictures to telling me how Charlie was doing...Ah, the love she had for her son, the way she talked about you, her smile when you\'re name came up, pictures ect is something i admired about her,a love that was true... We had lots of good visits and i got to know part of her life too,a hard working woman with a big heart. Know that God need a good worker up there and he called only the best..You two will be in my prayers in this hard time in you\'re life...Rest in peace Mary Helen."
"Our thoughts and prayers are with you. "
"Mary Easterly Family You have our condolence, and in our prayers. God Bless! Ralph & Donna Jean Knickrehm"
"Mary Easterly Family You have our condolence, and in our prayers. God Bless! Ralph & Donna Jean Knickrehm"
"Charley & Cathy . So sorry to hear of your Mom\'s passing. I never met Mary, but feel as though I have; just hearing Kathy speaking of her. Our thoughts & prayers are with you & your family.Friends, Gene & Sharon"
"Dear Brother Charlie and Cathy Our relationship with mum goes back to the late 70\'s when she welcomed us into her heart - and said something that we will remember forever - Poobal, Charlie has a brother in you - and thats the way its been ever since, thru the 2 visits EVEN after my garduation and departure from the US. MARY HELEN has been ever loving thru the tough times especially when we first enter the US as immigrants - Its a deep loss for all of us here - our profound condolences TO ALL HER DEAR ONES - FROM POOBAL, SELVI, DEVAN AND ANUSHA"
"Mary Helen was a very special person. I enjoyed visiting with her and listening to her stories about her life. Wherever I traveled, Mary Helen wanted me to bring her a small rock. Perhaps the most unusual was one from Iran. It was a small brick made from the clay of the Shiite shrine in Karbala. When the Iranians did their prayers, they would touch their forehead to the sacred brick rather than the ground itself. I will cherish her memory. "