Helen Marie Perkins

Helen (Stevens) Perkins was born in Wright County, Missouri, on December 23, 1932, to Myrtle (Salsman) and Ufa Stevens. She went to her Heavenly Home on March 5, 2022, at Country Living-Assisted Living in Mountain Grove at the age of 89 years, 2 months, and 10 days.

Helen attended Dawson Assembly of God Church as a child; she accepted Jesus as her Savior during VBS at Friendship Church. Helen attended MGHS through 11th grade, then completed her GED when she was 59 years old!

She married Laverne Perkins on July 20, 1949. To this union, five children were born; two sons: Carl Lorane and Jimmy Lane, and three daughters: Beverly Ann, Mary Faye and Donna Mae.

Besides her parents, Helen was preceded in death by her husband, Laverne, one son, Lorane, one grandchild, Carl Eugene Perkins, one brother, Arthur Stevens, her sister-in-law, Helen Stevens, her brother-in-law, Carl Gaddis, and unborn great-grandchildren.

Helen is survived by one son, Jimmy Lane and his wife, Jeannea, of Mountain Grove, Missouri, three daughters, Beverly Bishop and her husband, Raymond, of Mountain Grove, Missouri, Mary Kimble and her husband, Kurt, of Neosho, Missouri, and Donna Barr and her husband, Donald, of Mountain Grove, Missouri, one sister, Louise Sheppard and her husband, Junior, of Kansas City, Missouri, and one brother, Dwain "Jack" Stevens and his wife, Rosemary, of Idaho. She is also survived by 13 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren, 4 great-great-grandchildren, and a host of relatives and friends who will miss her very much.

Helen worked on a dairy farm near Manes, Missouri, from 1949 to 1984, and was a wonderful mother to her five children. After Laverne’s death in 1984, Helen moved to Mountain Grove where she babysat for a few years, and worked at the Mountain Grove Crisis Center for about 20 years while selling Avon on the side. She volunteered at the Mountain Grove Senior Center, Three Rivers Hospice, and Adult Continuing Education after completing her GED. She then took a college class at Shannon Hall in Mountain Grove through MSU West Plains.

Helen moved to Country Living Assisted Living in December of 2016, where she kept busy crocheting and embroidering. She made beautiful quilts for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.