Helen Bentley Wood passed the evening of March 11 at her home.  The oldest child of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Bentley in Wellsville, she helped her dad on the farm, learned about car parts by watching him repair cars in his side job, rode her horse under backyard clothes line and was a tom-boy who also knew the kitchen.  Helen had three siblings for whom she was to set an example; that didn't always happen per the stories she told the family!  A sports enthusiast, she was on high school basketball team, enjoyed baseball (and a shiner) in her parents' yard, was excited youngest daughter also played basketball and baseball, chatted with moms at the ball park and watched NBA Final, World Series and Super Bowl TV games in calls or visits by oldest daughter who shared New Year's Eve with her in recent years. After her kids learned to swim, Helen set a grab the ladder record in her first dive!  She had many friends and fun memories from area dances before and after marriage, often playing songs or dancing at home with her kids and their friends as she taught them to jitterbug.  If a good tune was playing in the car, her left foot was tapping.

She met husband, Eddie, by giving him a ride home when his car broke down; they started dating and married in 1954 when Helen declined an opportunity to work at Ford Corporate in Michigan.  Eddie was called to military service, so they moved to Ft. Smith, AR.  Raised an independent, strong woman, she subsequently bought a new car, filled it with clothes, car oil and a hunting knife and drove cross country by herself to join him in Ft. Lewis, Tacoma, WA in pre-cell phone days!  Helen worked at Elder Garment Factory sewing military pistol belts to support Korean War troops and previously worked at Peyton's Market.  She fondly recalled Tacoma with Mt. Rainier and ocean views in upstairs windows.  They returned to area family when Eddie was discharged.  Helen saw a lot of the US by riding with Eddie as he drove the 18 wheeler cross-country (drove car like a truck in visiting out of state relatives, making her grateful to return home).

Proud mother of four, she was called Mom by her children's friends (raised a few eyebrows at the stores).  Helen had an open heart and home; the dinner table ranged from 6-10 people; friends, family and kids dropped by day and night.  With Eddie gone most of the time, her younger days were filled with overseeing home addition, cooking (fresh home made bread/pie/cake on 4 nights/week at least), planting huge garden, Baptist Church activities, school events and the Mrs. Clean nickname with buffed wood floors that kids slid across in socks.  She was spotless in housekeeping and personal appearance, always wore makeup, even as ride along passenger.  Her greatest joys in life were her kids with daily call from oldest son, adventures of oldest daughter, stories from youngest son and extended visits by Sydney, AU grandson and youngest daughter.  Not an electronics age birth, she immediately became iPad and FaceTime user.  Helen and Eddie moved to Montgomery in 1995 and owned Wellsville rental houses for a few years.  Although recently limited in physical activities, she was the family matriarch.

Preceded in death by her parents and brother, Helen found peace alongside her parents on March 17 at Wellsville, MO Cemetery as she wished.  Her strength, encouragement and love will always be missed by family survivors including husband Eddie and children Darrell and wife Lisa, Deborah, Darin and Dana.

Mrs. Wood was cremated and the family had private services.