Helen Trask's Obituary
Helen Kelley Trask, daughter of Ollis Mark and Edith Barton, was born September 9, 1925, in Burlington, Iowa. She departed this life Monday, January 8, 2007, in Ozark Care Center, in Osage Beach, Missouri, at the age of eighty-one years, three months, and twenty-nine days. Early in her life she was united in marriage to James Leonard Kelley, who preceded her in death in 1979. On September 12, 1998, in Harper Chapel United Methodist Church, she married Ralph L. Trask, and together they shared the last eight years. Her parents also preceded her in death. Helen is survived by her husband, Ralph, of Camdenton, Missouri; her children, David and Jennifer Kelley, of Camdenton, Missouri, Cori and Patrick Keefe, of Cromwell, Connecticut, Scott and Wendy Kelley, of Keokuk, Iowa, Britt Kelley and Jan Heinold, of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, Sandy Strange, of Osage Beach, Missouri, and Harry and Betty Knight, of Atlantic, Iowa; eleven grandchildren, Andrew, Kat, Jill, Jessie, Cassie, Brian, Jessica, Gina, Jim, Lisa, and Lana; seven great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; a sister, Hazel Henderson, of Pharr, Texas; her cat, “Lucky”; as well as a host of other relatives and many friends. She was raised in Burlington and Danville, Iowa, and graduated from Burlington High School. She met James and they were married in 1945. In the late 1950’s, Helen and James moved to Minnesota and owned a fishing resort on Bowen Lake. Later, they moved back to Danville, Iowa. For the next several years she was a devoted homemaker and a loving mother to her family. Following James’ death in 1979, she began attending Southeast Iowa Community College and earned her Associate of Applied Science Degree in Mechanical Technology. She worked for J. I. Case Company in Burlington until retiring in 1987. She then moved to Hamilton, Illinois where she operated a ceramics and crafts store called “Country Crafts” in Keokuk, Iowa. In September of 1996, she moved to the Lake of the Ozarks and met Ralph in the summer of 1998. They were married that September. Helen was a member of Harper Chapel United Methodist Church in Osage Beach, Missouri, where she was active in the United Methodist Women. She also belonged to the American Legion Auxiliary, the Order of the Eastern Star, and was a volunteer in the reading program at the Camdenton Schools. In her spare time she enjoyed doing ceramics, chair caning, reading western novels, traveling, exploring, and being a Weight Watchers lecturer. Her family was very important to her and she especially enjoyed her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Helen was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, and sister, and was a caring neighbor and friend. We celebrate her life and her accomplishments and will cherish the wonderful memories she created for her family and friends. Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, January 12, 2007, in Harper Chapel United Methodist Church. Buriall will be in Saturday, January 13, 2007, at 2:00 p.m., in Jaggar Cemetery, Danville, Iowa. Visitation will be held Thursday evening from 6 - 8:00 p.m. under the direction of Allee-Holman-Howe Funeral Home of Camdenton, Missouri.
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