Helen Maxine DeVault
Helen Maxine DeVault
Washington
Helen Maxine DeVault, age 93 of Washington, Iowa, formerly of Cedar Rapids, and Libertyville, Iowa, passed away at the United Presbyterian Home on January 3, 2024.
Helen was born near Selma, Iowa to Ralph Riley DeVault and Mary Josephine Oliver DeVault on June 11, 1930. She attended Selma high school for 10 years and graduated from Libertyville High school. She worked at Keosauqua Creamery for one year. She took summer classes at Parsons College to get her teaching certificate. Helen taught at rural country schools for eight years. She then taught at Gladbrook, Washington and Madison School in Cedar Rapids. During this time, she attended summer school and evening classes at Iowa City, Kirksville, Mo., and Fairfield. Helen graduated from Parsons College in Fairfield with her 4-year teaching degree. She retired after teaching 42 years.
She was a member of the Linn County and Washington county DAR. Helen thought Washington would be a great place to retire, so she bought a cottage at the United Presbyterian Home living there for 11 years. She lived in an apartment for 2 years and moved to the McCreedy Home on April 2017.
Her greatest interest was genealogy and she took summer trips with her older sister Doris and husband Stuart who was also interested in genealogy. Her other interests were reading, sewing, knitting, crocheting and cooking.
Left to share memories of Helen are niece, Shirley (Wayne) Tedrow of Cantril, Iowa, four nephews, Clifford Stackhouse of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who has been very diligent and faithful in caring for Helen for the last few years, Guy Stackhouse of Marion, Iowa, who has cared for Helen’s cats, Iven (Julie) Thomas of Douds, Iowa, and Melvin Thomas of Keosauqua, Iowa, and eight-great- and 14 great-great-nieces and nephews.
Helen was preceded in death by her parents, Ralph and Mary Josephine DeVault, two sisters Doris (Stuart) Thomas and Alice (Lester) Stackhouse, a brother Ivan H. DeVault, a nephew Clay Stackhouse, a great-nephew Christopher Stackhouse, and a niece-in-law Judy Thomas.
Graveside services will be at the Mt. Moriah Cemetery near Douds, Iowa, 1:00 PM Tuesday, January 9, 2024. The family will receive friends from 10:00-Noon at the Beatty Peterseim Funeral Home in Washington, IA.
Memorial may be left to the United Presbyterian Home at Washington or Mt. Moriah Cemetery, near Douds, Iowa, and can be mailed to Shirley Tedrow at P.O. Box 231, Cantril, Iowa 52542.