Mary Margaret Helm

May 24, 1947-Aug. 24, 2010

INDIANOLA, Nebraska -- Mary Margaret Helm died Aug. 24, 2010 at St. Mary's Catholic Hospital in Tucson, Arizona.

She was born to John Francis Helm and Helen Margaret Sughroue Helm on May 24, 1947. She joined a family of three brothers. Later another brother and three sisters made up the Helm family. The family lived on their farm in Decatur County, Kansas.

She attended Spring Branch, a rural school in Kansas, until 1960 when rural schools disbanded. She then went to Norcatur, Kansas for her eighth grade and freshman years of school. Next, she attended school at Concordia, Kansas for her sophomore year and returned to Decatur County High School where she lived with Roy and Ann Shobe and their family.

Upon graduation she received the Smick Memorial Scholarship and went to Nursing School at Stormont Vail in Topeka, Kansas. After graduating with an RN degree she returned to Oberlin, Kansas to work at the hospital to fulfill her scholarship agreement.

She later worked at various hospitals in Kansas before accepting a position of Director of Nursing in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

While there she got her BSN in Nursing and was then transferred by her work to Tucson where she continued to live. She received the Who's Who in American Nursing Award in 1986 and 1987. Mary received an award from the Mid American Nursing Society on Addiction and received recognition for Outstanding Service Dedication and Leadership in the Addiction Field in 1983.

Mary loved nursing and never failed to help someone in need. She was an avid reader and loved to dance and have fun. Her nieces and nephews thought she was a "barrel of fun." She loved to travel and traveled extensively. She leaves a host of friends and a big loving family.

She was preceded in death in 2004 by her father, John Helm; and a great nephew, Jayce Joseph Lepper-Helm.

She is survived by her mother, Helen Helm of Cambridge, Nebraska; brothers, Jim Helm and wife, Yanis of Danbury, Nebraska, Fred Helm of Hilo, Hawaii, John Helm II of Redmond, Washington, and Mike Helm and wife, Deb of Norcatur; sisters; Kathy Brashears and husband, Robert Hezzy of Curtis, Nebraska, Ceanne Rinehart and husband, Martin of Colby, Kansas, and Laurie Helm of St. Joseph, Missouri. She leaves 18 nieces and nephews and one special nephew, Stefan of Tucson, whom Mary babysat for his 13 years.

Memorial services are Friday, 10 a.m., at St. Catherine's Catholic Church in Indianola.