Helen Opal Faith Emery

Helen was welcomed into heaven on Wednesday, April 15, at the age of 89. She was born on Aug. 3, 1925, near Sheldon, Mo., to Glen Burley Faith and Stella Fay Clinkenbeard Faith.

Sheldon is where she grew up and excelled as a student. Helen worked in her mother's restaurant where she learned excellent cooking and serving skills. She played girls basketball and was involved in many other activities, having graduated in 1943. Education was very important to Helen who truly was a lifelong learner. She made teaching her profession because of her desire to see others learn. She went on to college and taught at Kansas City and at Milo. While teaching at Milo, she Met Frank Edgar Emery who had recently returned from World War II. The two were united in marriage on June 1, 1947. Helen and Frank moved to Nevada in 1955, where Frank ran the Nevada branch of the family business.

This marriage was blessed with five sons (Terry who died at birth, Randy, Ed, Jay, and Mike) and one daughter (Leesa). Helen was a career mom who heavily invested in the lives of her children. She was a very devoted and dedicated mother and was frequently seen serving in some capacity (room mother, PTA, Chaperone, volunteer, etc.) at the Nevada schools. She was a cheerleader, teacher and motivator for all of her children and eventually her grandchildren.

Helen was very active up until her death, having attended a grandson's track meet and celebrated with family over the weekend of Easter and she was ecstatic at the birth of a new great-granddaughter on Easter day.

She was a very talented seamstress and tailor, sewing everything from suits, dresses, curtains and baby clothes that many enjoyed through the years. Helen also saw great value in demonstrating hospitality and inviting others into her home where she served delicious meals. Her saying was that "There is always room for one more." She was a very generous woman. She loved pictures, scrapbooking and stories.

In her later years she was excited to campaign for her son Ed's political campaigns. She volunteered at the food shelf, ministered every Wednesday at Barone's Senior Center, and kept up with a lot of people. Helen also enjoyed genealogy and history -- specifically her ancestral heritage, tracing her family tree past the early years of our country to England and Germany. She was very involved in putting the history of Vernon County into writing in 2005 having served as one of two chairwomen on the project. She invested time at the Vernon County Historical Society and Bushwhacker Museum. She was a distinguished member of the Nevada/Vernon County Chamber of Commerce.

Though having grown up attending church, she accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior when she was in her 20s after she started attending First Baptist Church of Nevada. Helen became an active member of First Baptist serving and participating in many capacities. She began teaching the junior high girls Sunday School class and eventually moved into teaching adult women. She taught Sunday school at First Baptist for approximately 60 years. The last class that she taught was three days before she died. She loved Jesus and loved telling others about Jesus and leading them to their own personal relationship with Him. We are thankful that Helen is with her Savior.

Helen is survived by one son, Ed Emery and wife, Rebecca, Lamar, Mo., and their children, Elizabeth, Samuel, Daniel (Madison), and Paul; and daughter, Leesa Drury and her husband, Tom, Park Rapids, Minn., and their children, Sarah, Thomas, John (Tanis), Forrest, Molly and Caroline; grandson, Jon (Janelle) Emery, and two great-granddaughters, Irene Rose Emery and Evelyn Faith Emery; and two sisters, Betty Wilhite, Tulsa, Okla., and Rosalene Davis, Tulsa, Okla.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Helen was preceded in death by husband, Frank Emery; parents, Glen and Stella Faith; one brother, Bob Faith; and four sons, infant son Terry, Mike, Randy, and Jay.

Visitation will be on Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m., at Ferry Funeral Home, Nevada. Services will be held on Monday at 3 p.m., at First Baptist Church, of Nevada, Mo., with her grandson, Pastor John Drury officiating. Interment will follow in Newton Burial Park, Nevada.

Memorial contributions may be made in her memory to the Fellowship Baptist Church in Nevis, Minn., the church pastored by her son-in-law, Tom Drury.

View obituary and send condolences online at www.ferryfuneralhome.com.