Helena grew up and attended schools in Cawker City, Kansas and graduated from Cawker City High School. She attended Fort Hays College in Hays, Kansas, Sacred Heart College in Wichita, Kansas, Patricia Stevens School in Wichita, Kansas, and Draughon’s Business College in Kansas City, Missouri. She worked in various business companies, retiring in 1999.
On June 18, 1960, she was united in marriage with Donnie Ray Kamphefner at Redemptorist Catholic Church, 3333 Broadway, Kansas City, Missouri.
The family lived in Kansas City, Missouri and moved to Gladstone, Missouri for the remainder of her life. To this union, three children were born, Craig John, Christopher Joseph, and Carlene Frances.
She served years in Altar and Rosary Society, volunteer at St. Andrews School and Good Shephard Place, for needy meals and helping in the kitchen; Children’s Mercy Hospital (with Altar & Rosary volunteer).
Helena was preceded in death by her parents, Bernard and Frances Wagner; her husband, Donnie Kamphefner in 2019; her son, Christopher Joseph Kamphefner in 1963; and four sisters, Kathleen, Rose Marie, Marjorie Owen and Julianne Ayers.
Helena (Helen) is survived by her two children, Craig John Kamphefner (Cathy) of Smithville, Missouri, Carlene Frances (Brett) Roepe of Concordia, Missouri; two sisters, Betty Lohkamp (Jim) Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Mary Frances McClain of Pleasant Valley, Missouri; three brothers, Alfred Wagner of Wichita, Kansas, Edgar Wagner of Cawker City, Kansas, and Ralph Wagner (Susan) of Gladstone, Missouri; three grandchildren, Ashley (Kamphefner) Nolte (Michael) of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Nathan Sinclair (Rochelle) of Smithville, Missouri, and Kayla (Sinclair) Schmidt (Brandon) of Waverly, Missouri; six great grandchildren, Madeline and John Nolte of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Blake and Wyatt Sinclair of Smithville, Missouri, Baylor and Brecken Schmidt of Waverly, Missouri; and a host of relatives and friends – she was blessed to spend more than 59 years of marriage with her husband Don.
