Jean Helton

OBITUARY
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Jean Marie Helton, 83, of Speegleville, passed away Sunday, April 24, 2005.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at the OakCrest Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Joe Bailey officiating. Burial will follow in Harris Creek Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at OakCrest Funeral Home, 4520 Bosque Blvd.

Jean was born December 20, 1921 to William Homer and Annie Mae (Bickel) Ruff in South Bosque, Texas.

She shared a childhood of the long ago farm life with her parents, two brothers and a sister in the Harris Creek community. She went to South Bosque School and Baylor University.

After graduating from South Bosque, as she said, "the Lord took care of me and gave me Mills Helton as a husband because I didn't have sense enough to look any further than good looks and he certainly had that too."

They were married on January 25, 1942. He died May 13, 2003. She couldn't wait to see him again. She said a preacher told her that everyone loved everyone equally in heaven and that there was not any husband and wife. She said, "Well, I'm going to find Mills Helton anyway."

Mills was in the Army Air Corps when daughter Peggy Ann was born in Center, Texas and son, Bill Helton was born in Muenster, Texas.
After the Army Air Corps they lived in Muenster, Weatherford, Rosebud, West, and Baird while Mills was with the Soil Conservation Service until Mills' retirement in 1978.

From 1952 to 1966 Jean and Mills had a farm in Bosqueville next to the Gorhams and attended Bosqueville Baptist Church; during that time, Jean worked in the office of Dr. Lee and Dr. George Helm in Waco.

After retirement, they moved to Grandpa Helton's farm in Speegleville and attended Speegleville Baptist Church where a Helton has been in attendance for most of 150 years. Jean Helton spent her life in service to her husband, children, grandchildren, family, church, and community. She loved little children and handwork. The world is a much better place for her having lived and a much lonelier place with her gone from it.

She was preceded in death by her husband, and two brothers, Frederick (Dude) Ruff and Donald Ruff, and a grandson, Jonathan Mills Helton.

She is survived by her son, Bill Helton and his wife, Susan, of Speegleville; daughter, Peggy Ann McDonald and husband, Alex, of Magnolia; sister, Jackie Walter and husband, Arvis, of South Bosque; six grandchildren, Mathew and Jon Helton, Mischa Hutchings, Ian, Dillan, and Thomas McDonald, and several nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be Cecil Dunn, Matt Thornton, Rusty Thornton, Jim Smith, Jay Johansen, Alex McDonald, and Chris Clemons.

Memorials may be made to the Speegleville Baptist Church, 469 Speegleville Road, Waco, 76712.

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