Emma Caroline Burklund Helgren McCord

She was proceeded in death by her aforementioned parents, her first husband of 17 years and father of her three children, Lawrence Eugene Helgren, her second husband of 34 years, Terrell L. McCord, siblings Minnie Burklund, Ellen Johnson, Della Stevens, Will Burklund, Ann Nelson and her daughter Carolyn L. Helgren.

While living at home she worked on a farm with the family and helped in the caretaking of her younger siblings. She began her adult life when she moved to Austin at age 17 working as a housekeeper and nanny until she married in 1940 and moved to Georgetown. During WWII, she, her husband, her daughter, her parents and her sisters moved to Tacoma, WA for two years while her family worked in the war effort. After the war Emma, husband and daughter returned to Georgetown where she had two additional children and was a stay-at-home mom. The family moved back to Austin in 1955. After Lawrence’s death in 1957, she worked for AISD/Reilly Elementary School cafeteria for five years and then as a seamstress for the Austin State School for 20 years retiring in 1980.

She is survived by her daughter Judy and her husband Raymond P. Canion, son Jim R. Helgren and wife Susan and their four children Emily (Dave) Anderson, Blair (Dawn) Helgren, Jill (Ryan) Mills and Philip (Whitney) Helgren, and seven great-grandchildren, Sydney & Jack Anderson, Clark, Annie & Landry Mills and Brooke & Ashlyn Helgren, sister Mary Anderson and sister-in-law Audry Burklund and many nieces and nephews.

The family will be forever grateful to her medical practitioners, Nurse Nate Thomas with Apicon and Dr. Frederick Merian and to her loyal and compassionate caregivers Eloisa Martinez and Olivia Davila.

Visitation will be held 12:00 p.m., until 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 16, 2014 at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Cemetery Mausoleum Chapel in Pflugerville with funeral services beginning at 1:00 p.m.