Helen Underwood

HELEN UNDERWOOD, Age 73 of rural Elburn, passed away Tuesday evening, September 27, 2005, at her home. With her daughter and beloved niece by her side, Helen slipped peacefully to sleep. Surrounded by the love and prayers of her church, her neighbors and many friends, she had battled courageously, with a confident faith, to finish the race of life and claim the promise of her Savior. BORN: She was born, December 7, 1931 on Spruce St. in Aurora, IL, the daughter of Stanley and Regina (Sonnenfroh) Green. A few months later, they moved to the family farm on Green Road where Helen grew up and lived her entire lifetime. EDUCATION: She attended the Gould-Souders country school, just down Green Road from home, and graduated from Kaneville High School with the class of 1949, the very last class to graduate from Kaneville High School.MARRIAGE / RESIDENTIAL HISTORY: On March 8, 1952, Helen married her high school sweetheart, Gene Underwood at the Kaneville United Methodist Church. Gene was home on leave from service in the Navy and when he returned to stay, they settled on the Green family farm on Green Road. There Gene and Helen, together with their families and friends, built a lovely home. Perched on a small hill with room for a big yard and a nice garden, they were then surrounded by fields and hedged by shade trees. OCCUPATION / WORK HISTORY Before their daughter, Lisa, was born, Helen worked at Moline Malleable, Batavia and later at Mooseheart, following Lisa’s graduation. In between were the years she treasured as she and Gene devoted their lives raising Lisa. Years passed and Lisa returned their love by giving them a grandson, Thomas. He was the apple of Helen’s eye and the two of them wore matching smiles whenever you saw them together. Under her tutelage, Thomas grew in both knowledge and faith beyond his years.MEMBERSHIPS / LIFE NOTES Helen was a faithful member of the Kaneville United Methodist Church where she taught Sunday School, sang in the choir and joined in many activities at the church. Helen’s life journey was strewn with both joy and sorrow. The challenges and changes she met, gradually deepened her faith and created in her a quiet but enduring spirit that truly appreciated life and love. Sewn together with that spirit, there was a sense of humor that could simply laugh at life when it turned upside down. A "seasoned traveler" on life’s road, Helen made friends easily, especially in hard times. She had a compassionate heart that moved her to speak to others when bumpy roads threw them together. In doctors offices, church pews, grocery stores or support group circles, others always found her willing to listen and share.Helen also loved to sew, knit and cross stitch and work in the garden. If her hands were always busy making things, her heart and mind were busy learning and saving things. Filing cabinets full of papers and a computer with gigabits of genealogy, testify to her love of family history. Still she was the grandma who competed at Playstation games with her grandson and kept in touch from coast to coast by e-mail.SURVIVORS (Media note: atypical groupings as approved by family please print as written if possible -thanks)She is survived by:One daughter, Lisa (James) Liedberg of Batavia and their son, Thomas Michael;One Sister-in-law, Evelyn (the late Donald) Green of DeKalb, IL(their children and families: Aldora (Jerry) Marlow of Beaufort, South Carolina, Verdell (Dan) Hall of Grandville, MI ( Statia and Jacob),And Kennard Green of DeKalb, IL ;Several nieces and nephews:Betty Ann (Ron) Olson of Madison, WI, (daughter of the late Sonny and Bernice Kaltofen and wife of the late Phil Vinje ,and Betty and Phil’s children: Michelle and Brad Vinje and Ardis (Michael) Ocsody);Alvin (Ann) Kaltofen of Wheaton, IL and Mary (Robert) Propernick of Elgin, IL (son and daughter of the late Alvin "Babe" and Lulu Kaltofen)One special cousin, Richard Sullivan of McKinleyville, CA;As well as an unnumbered host of dear friends.PRECEDED Helen is preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Gene;One sister, Della in infancy ;Three brothers: Oscar "Sonny", Alvin "Babe", Donald andTwo sisters-in-law Bernice (wife of the late Sonny) Kaltofen .And Lulu (wife of the late Alvin) Kaltofen.A memorial has been established in Helen’s name to benefit her church and favorite charities. Memorial checks may be made to the Helen Underwood Memorial and mailed in care of P.O. Box 66, Elburn, IL 60119. Tributes and memories may be mailed to the same address or forwarded to the family through her obituary at www.conleycare.com. For information, call 1-800-8-CONLEY.

VISITATION / FUNERAL Visitation will be held at Conley Funeral Home, Friday, September 30, 2005 from 2-8pmFuneral services will be held Saturday, October 1, 2005 at 10:30am at the Kaneville United Methodist Church. The Rev. Fred Conger, interim pastor and the Rev. Katherine Lawes, friend and pastor of the Community Congregational Church, Elburn, will officiate.

Interment will follow at River Hills Cemetery, Batavia, IL.