On the 1930 U.S. Census her occupation showed her working as a Butter Wrapper at a local creamery.

MARRIAGE

At 23, Helen met Ray Paul Alspaugh on December 3, 1932 and married him twenty days later, December 23. After the couple married, Ray supported Helen’s mother, Susie, financially, while Helen assisted her with her physical hindrances. Since Helen’s father left the family with no financial resource and she witnessed the struggle her mother endured in its wake, she came to the point as an adult, even though a young widow, where she humbly gave what she could to local food pantries, donated to Children’s Hospital, and contributed to the Feed the Children organization. Carol mentioned in her memories of her mother that she only received one new piece of clothing per year, provided by the organization, Charity Newsies, which Carol continued to donate to annually prior to her death in 2018. On Tuesday, May 15, 1951 there was a record of a transfer of real estate to Helen and her husband, Ray, from her father-in-law, Samuel Solomon Alspaugh for 20.42 acres in Greenfield Township.

RAISING A FAMILY

Over the course of their marriage she and Ray had three children: Gerald Lee, Gloria Rae, and Carol June, which Helen immersed in a strict manner. Carol mentioned Helen’s passion for Hollywood and her dream to become an actress. Her mother, Susie, was strongly against it and explained that no “good” girl went to become an actress. Carol wondered how this would have altered her mother’s course in life as it may have been Susie’s influence on Helen to raise her children in a strict manner. This, however, shifted for Carol, as she admitted raising her children in a more lenient manner. Carol also shared memories of Helen making clothes out of feed sacks without any use of a pattern.

STRENGTHENING STEELE

Helen lost her mother four days before her birthday in 1956 and in six short years she lost her husband, Ray, on October 11, 1962, one month before Carol’s thirteenth birthday. It was recorded in the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette on several occasions that she was appointed as her husband’s administratrix of the estate in Lancaster, Route 3 in Greenfield Township valued at approximately $5,600. Losing her husband must have brought a sense of needing to be independent as she obtained her driver’s license sometime in her 50s. Every time Helen received her pension check she first would buy dog food, as she always had dogs around the house, and preferred the mutts that were abandoned. One dog that was heavier than the rest ate low calorie dog food that she especially bought for it. Second, she would humbly buy canned goods and macaroni and cheese which were donations for her church. It was only after these two important matters were completed that she then purchased food for herself, believing she needed to eat very little for her overall health. In 1969, after the loss of her mother, husband, and raising all three children, she turned to a new challenge, her education. At 60 years old, Helen went back to school, studied, and obtained her GED and trained to be a secretary. She mastered and became an expert at the english language, engaging in daily crossword puzzles. She always stated, “The harder, the better!” Carol mentioned that when she told her mother she hated crossword puzzles, her mother responded, “I do, too! I do this to exercise my brain.”

RESIDENCE

A record showed Helen renting a P.O. Box in Lancaster, No. 583 and her recorded address in Lancaster was located at 945 Mount Zion Road NW, on the property given by her father-in-law in Greenfield Township.

INTERESTS

Carol added that when her own husband, Bill, died in December 2001, Helen took it very hard since she considered him like a son. He was involved with helping her around the house any way he could and ensured her car was maintained and in working order. She was very health conscientious and exercised daily up until her last year of life. Carol included her mother’s interests along with stories. Helen enjoyed the color pink and as she aged she became more fond of yellow. Ironically her favorite flowers were violets even through she believed purple was a depressing color. Helen enjoyed the fullness of nature’s beauty having a “green thumb” herself, read Shakespeare and mythical gods as a young teenager, and was “an incurable romantic.” The love of music filled her soul, with the denial of country, including those of Bing Crosby, Nat “King” Cole, and the Beatles. Carol shared the story of Helen discovering she enjoyed The Irish Tenors. While watching her beloved PBS program she witnessed their talent and watched “Live from Belfast” on many occasions. Her grand-daughter-in-law wrote to them and one sent Helen an autographed picture. She treasured it and displayed it proud on an end table.

BLIND BRAVERY

Carol continued to compliment how strong a survivor Helen was, especially with the story of how Helen managed to escape her burning house at 83 years old, crawled through the woods and up and down a ravine to get to Carol’s house, and grab a beer all the while being legally blind. She emphasized that Helen was not a “drinker” (due to her father being an alcoholic) however managed to get a hold of one of her husband’s beer bottles, open it, and drink. Helen’s eyesight was later restored after undergoing laser surgery and Carol announced her mother’s first words after seeing the world again, “You [Carol] look so much older!”

LEAVING A LEGACY

As a strong Christian woman, Helen recorded important dates in her Bible which she read cover to cover each year for twenty-six years only stopping in her later years as she was not able to see the text. She and her husband, Ray, were against racial prejudice, in a time where it was more accepted, and viewed it as extreme stupidity. She attended Faith Memorial Church and also volunteered for the American Red Cross multiple years. Helen Mae (Steele) Alspaugh passed away Sunday afternoon at 12:07 p. m. on November 13, 2005 at the Fairfield Medical Center as she reached the age of 96 1/2 years old. Carol proudly served as a pallbearer to her mother as she now lies interred in the Amanda Township Cemetery next to her husband, Ray; daughter, Gloria; and her son, Gerald, holds a plot there for when he passes. The funeral ceremony was officiated by Pastor Melvin Truex at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 16th. Arrangements were managed by the Frank E. Smith Funeral Home in Lancaster.