Helen L. (Weber) Murphy

OTTAWA – Helen L. (Weber) Murphy, 76, of Ottawa, passed away very peacefully on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at her home.

Funeral services will be held Monday, June 3 ^rd , at 11:00 a.m. at Gladfelter Funeral Home with Reverend Jules Adator officiating.  Burial will follow in Oakwood Memorial Park.  Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Sunday and from 10:00 a.m. until service time Monday at the funeral home.  Pallbearers will be friends of Helen and honorary pallbearers will be her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Helen was born to William and Elizabeth (Henkel) Weber on February 20, 1937 in Ottawa, Illinois, where she remained her entire life in her hometown.  Helen met and fell in love with her high school sweetheart and husband of 56 years, Thomas.  They were wed in Ottawa, Illinois on October 24, 1956.  They were blessed with three children, Thomas (Shona) of Ottawa, Jack of Houston, Texas, and Lori (John) Warren of Ottawa.  She was an extremely proud Nana of Rachel Chapman of Oglesby, Dale MacKay of Chicago, Jerry MacKay of Grand Rapids, Michigan and Allison Warren of Ottawa and great grandmother of Cody and Devon Sharp of Oglesby.

Helen was a 1955 graduate of Ottawa Township High School.  She was employed by Ottawa Elementary Grade School System for over 15 years as one of Lincoln School’s “first hot-lunch ladies”.  Every child that passed through the school became one of her own and one of her favorites.  She was known everywhere around town as the “hot lunch lady”.  After retiring her position at Lincoln, Helen did something else that was very rewarding to her.  She worked at LaSalle County Nursing Home under various food service providers for over 15 years.  All of the residents there became her family as well, as the children of the school system did.  Helen was a pet lover and her family had many household pets throughout her life.  Helen enjoyed working her puzzle books as she often told her family to “keep her sharp”, watching the birds in her many feeders and bird bath, watching her favorite television game show, “Wheel of Fortune”, and spending relaxing times on the front porch with all of her special lady friends.

Helen is survived by her husband, children, and grandchildren; her sister, Mary (Robert) Gage of Marseilles; her brother, John (Shoko) Weber of California; her sister in-law, Delores (William) Weber; her brother in-law, Edward (Barbara) Miller of Ottawa; her beloved cat, Prince; several nieces and nephews; and extended family members, Trudy Closen, David Schimmelpfennig and Amy (Schimmelpfennig) Henson.  She was preceded in death by her parents; stepmother, Ruth; brothers, William and Charles; and her sister, Barbara.