Obituaries

Betty Davenport from Rockford, IL

"Helen was my older sister. She was 13 when I was born. She took me to the playground when she came home from school. I feel very blessed to have lived 2 houses away from her in Northbrook. She would call me if she couldn't make it home for Bowser. I would let him out for his noon potty break. She could cook and bake just like our mom. She always had us over for Xmas Eve. She had our mother's strength."

Robert Howe from Streamwood, IL

"Our Mom was and always will be the greatest Mom there ever was.She was a devoted and loving mother and wife for over six decades! She was also a loving Grandma, Great Grandma, sister and friend to many. Even though she is not here with us anymore, her presence will remain with us forever and we will never forget her.Mostly Mom was just mom doing what Moms do…. cooking (her lasagna, Beef Burgundy and Veal Parmesan were the best and a special treat), cleaning, shopping, teaching us good values and taking care of us. The list is endless. She would do anything for her family. She took on a job as an insurance underwriter and secretary and to help pay for our college educations. It was important to her that all of her kids had a college education because she wanted one but never had the chance to go. She was told to get a job instead.She had to be one of the most unselfish, generous, people that ever lived. If she had something, she always wanted to share at least part of it with family, friends and even strangers. If she had extra money, food, clothes (anything) she would share it. A lot of her happiness came from knowing she was helping others.She moved to Geneva to help with grandchildren. She really loved that! She called me all the time to tell me about all the kids. She did so many things for others, meals on wheels, Church functions, donating to Salvation Army and Good Will, even knitting hats for new born babies to keep them warm. These are just a few things I remember she did. That is who she was!Her medical issues made her endure a lot of pain. She had kidney surgeries to remove stones. Eventually her kidneys failed and she needed dialysis 3 times a week. She became bed ridden from having bad knees and rheumatoid arthritis. She became nearly deaf and had dementia. There were countless doctors’ visits for tests. Still she persevered. I know she did it so she could be with her family. I don’t know many people who could put up with what she did. I thought it was unfair and she didn’t deserve it. It didn’t and still doesn’t make sense to me why a good person should have to go through that. She had a positive attitude and always had that unforgettable smile when you visited her. She never gave up hope and talked about going home almost up to the time she left us. She really was amazing! I don’t know how she did it. To say she had a strong will is an understatement.We had a lot of fun growing up. When she had time we went to Cubs games, family get togethers, tobogganing, ice skating, movies, riverview, and vacations to Washington DC, Colorado and mostly Wisconsin on fishing trips.Christmas time was her favorite time of year. She made it so much fun. I’ll never forget the Christmas cookies? The best in the world! Nobody made them better! I remember helping with the toppings every year and there always being a “discussion” about who was going to get to lick the left-over cookie dough from the mixer and bowl and Dad was always trying to sneak some cookies unnoticed. Those were the best times.How do you wrap up a life that was as full as hers in a few words? You can’t. It would require a book. There was a lot of happiness and some sad times too. Mom loved us and that’s really all that mattered. We will all miss her deeply but know she is always still with us in our memories and our hearts. We will always love her and never forget her."