Helen Medlin Farris

She was born July 22nd, 1921 in Clarksburg, Missouri to Roy W. and Josephine M. (Schnur) Medlin.

Helen lived with her family in rural Prairie Home, Missouri, and graduated in 1939 from Prairie Home High School, while also attending teacher’s school training during the summer months. She attended Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Missouri, taught 10 years in the Cooper County Public School District, and finished her teaching career in the East St. Louis Illinois School District.

On June 23, 1946, Helen married her life-long love, William Lacy Farris. Helen, a housewife and homemaker, reared her two sons, Wayne and Alan, with her husband in Collinsville, Illinois, where she was an active member at the First Methodist Church. Helen held several offices in the P.E.O. Sorority, enjoyed reading, gardening, giving book reviews, teaching Sunday School, and serving as a Methodist youth group leader.

Upon retirement in 1982, Helen and Lacy moved to Bella Vista, Arkansas, where the couple became active in the First United Methodist Church of Bella Vista. Helen continued to be involved in several Methodist women’s groups.

In 2010, the couple returned to Glen Carbon, Illinois, residing at Eden Village Retirement Center until death.

Helen was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers, Roy Kenneth, Leslie Ray and Leon Edward, her grandson, Gregory Alan Farris, and husband.

She is survived by her sons, William Wayne (Carol) Farris of Capetown, South Africa, Alan (Sarah) Farris of Sparta, Illinois, and 3 grandsons, Jeffrey Farris, Nathaniel Farris and Jared Cernansky.

A gathering will be held on Wednesday, November 6th, 2019, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am, followed by a Memorial Service at Lake View Funeral Home, Fairview Heights, Illinois.

Memorials in lieu of flowers may be made to the Collinsville First United Methodist Church, 207 West Church Street, Collinsville, Illinois.