Helen truly detested her first given name and never used it. She had a bit of a tolerant humor about it, and only once in her adult life told us why...."Uggg....such an undignified name, Elsie....Elsie the cow!...I could never tolerate it!", she huffed. You would have to know Helen, such an elegant lady, to understand the mortified humor of it!
Helen was a daughter of Emma Jane Dial and Jacob Alvirus Zundel and granddaughter of the Daniel Zundel family, the first Willow Creek (now Willard) settlers among those of 1851-52.
Helen married Audrey Wayne Priebe, 17 October 1938, who would whisk her away from her small town to places such as Belgium, Washington D.C., Berlin, Germany, Chicago, Illinois, South Korea, Anchorage Alaska and other locations as a highly decorated Lt. Col. in the U.S. Army.
Their one little son survived only 4 months because of a heart defect, but they later raised a son and two daughters.
They lived a whirlwind existence, in the upper class of military life, traveling to exotic and far a way places, as Wayne accomplished great success as a Colonel and Ambassador.
Upon their military retirement they spent many happy years back in Willard, where they were active in their community and church.
Helen was an amazing woman, suffering in silence from many health problems and surgeries. She loved to spoil everyone with her club parties and gatherings. Besides doting on children, family, and neighbors, she was a loyal friend, gifted hostess, and elegant lady who truly persevered to the very end.
As she spent her last days in a hospital, attempting to recover from a broken hip suffered in a fall, her biggest concern was how she could possible carry out her Christmas tradition of preparing and serving desserts to visitors. As I took a platter of homemade treats to her, she said it was a "Godsend", because now, she had one last chance to be "hostess" to family and friends who were visiting her.
As her daughter applied her make up and fluffed up her hair....Helen was ready for Christmas!
Helen was a daughter of Emma Jane Dial and Jacob Alvirus Zundel and granddaughter of the Daniel Zundel family, the first Willow Creek (now Willard) settlers among those of 1851-52.
Helen married Audrey Wayne Priebe, 17 October 1938, who would whisk her away from her small town to places such as Belgium, Washington D.C., Berlin, Germany, Chicago, Illinois, South Korea, Anchorage Alaska and other locations as a highly decorated Lt. Col. in the U.S. Army.
Their one little son survived only 4 months because of a heart defect, but they later raised a son and two daughters.
They lived a whirlwind existence, in the upper class of military life, traveling to exotic and far a way places, as Wayne accomplished great success as a Colonel and Ambassador.
Upon their military retirement they spent many happy years back in Willard, where they were active in their community and church.
Helen was an amazing woman, suffering in silence from many health problems and surgeries. She loved to spoil everyone with her club parties and gatherings. Besides doting on children, family, and neighbors, she was a loyal friend, gifted hostess, and elegant lady who truly persevered to the very end.
As she spent her last days in a hospital, attempting to recover from a broken hip suffered in a fall, her biggest concern was how she could possible carry out her Christmas tradition of preparing and serving desserts to visitors. As I took a platter of homemade treats to her, she said it was a "Godsend", because now, she had one last chance to be "hostess" to family and friends who were visiting her.
As her daughter applied her make up and fluffed up her hair....Helen was ready for Christmas!
Helen truly detested her first given name and never used it. She had a bit of a tolerant humor about it, and only once in her adult life told us why...."Uggg....such an undignified name, Elsie....Elsie the cow!...I could never tolerate it!", she huffed. You would have to know Helen, such an elegant lady, to understand the mortified humor of it!
Helen was a daughter of Emma Jane Dial and Jacob Alvirus Zundel and granddaughter of the Daniel Zundel family, the first Willow Creek (now Willard) settlers among those of 1851-52.
Helen married Audrey Wayne Priebe, 17 October 1938, who would whisk her away from her small town to places such as Belgium, Washington D.C., Berlin, Germany, Chicago, Illinois, South Korea, Anchorage Alaska and other locations as a highly decorated Lt. Col. in the U.S. Army.
Their one little son survived only 4 months because of a heart defect, but they later raised a son and two daughters.
They lived a whirlwind existence, in the upper class of military life, traveling to exotic and far a way places, as Wayne accomplished great success as a Colonel and Ambassador.
Upon their military retirement they spent many happy years back in Willard, where they were active in their community and church.
Helen was an amazing woman, suffering in silence from many health problems and surgeries. She loved to spoil everyone with her club parties and gatherings. Besides doting on children, family, and neighbors, she was a loyal friend, gifted hostess, and elegant lady who truly persevered to the very end.
As she spent her last days in a hospital, attempting to recover from a broken hip suffered in a fall, her biggest concern was how she could possible carry out her Christmas tradition of preparing and serving desserts to visitors. As I took a platter of homemade treats to her, she said it was a "Godsend", because now, she had one last chance to be "hostess" to family and friends who were visiting her.
As her daughter applied her make up and fluffed up her hair....Helen was ready for Christmas!
Helen was a daughter of Emma Jane Dial and Jacob Alvirus Zundel and granddaughter of the Daniel Zundel family, the first Willow Creek (now Willard) settlers among those of 1851-52.
Helen married Audrey Wayne Priebe, 17 October 1938, who would whisk her away from her small town to places such as Belgium, Washington D.C., Berlin, Germany, Chicago, Illinois, South Korea, Anchorage Alaska and other locations as a highly decorated Lt. Col. in the U.S. Army.
Their one little son survived only 4 months because of a heart defect, but they later raised a son and two daughters.
They lived a whirlwind existence, in the upper class of military life, traveling to exotic and far a way places, as Wayne accomplished great success as a Colonel and Ambassador.
Upon their military retirement they spent many happy years back in Willard, where they were active in their community and church.
Helen was an amazing woman, suffering in silence from many health problems and surgeries. She loved to spoil everyone with her club parties and gatherings. Besides doting on children, family, and neighbors, she was a loyal friend, gifted hostess, and elegant lady who truly persevered to the very end.
As she spent her last days in a hospital, attempting to recover from a broken hip suffered in a fall, her biggest concern was how she could possible carry out her Christmas tradition of preparing and serving desserts to visitors. As I took a platter of homemade treats to her, she said it was a "Godsend", because now, she had one last chance to be "hostess" to family and friends who were visiting her.
As her daughter applied her make up and fluffed up her hair....Helen was ready for Christmas!
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
