Helen M. Behymer

Helen was born in Point Pleasant, Clermont County, Ohio on May 11, 1935, to Inez Claire (Bainum) (Turner) Heath and John Harlan Heath. She was raised by her mother, her maternal grandparents, Emma Gertrude (Lindsey) Bainum and Horace Claude Bainum, and her maternal grandmother, Louella May (Harry) Heath. She was preceded in death by her husband, Llewellyn Roger (Peachy) Behymer and her three siblings, John Dion Heath, Marjorie Ann Turner, and Margaret Loraine Heath Tremper.

In Helen’s own words, “My birth date is officially listed as May 11, 1935. Like most babies in those days, I was born at home. This had some advantages as far as my father was concerned. My father had the attending physician register my birth as May 11. I found out later that this was because his sister, Helen Marie, was also born on May 11, but had died a few years before I came along. So, I was given her name and birth date. It didn't matter to me. Once in a while, I could wangle two birthdays out of the deal.”

She will be remembered by their children, Lucinda Behymer Martineck, Llewellyn Roger Behymer II, and Lyndon Jay Behymer, along with Jay’s wife Mary. She also leaves behind 10 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and 6 great-great-grandchildren.

Helen loved fishing, butterfly-chasing, and birdwatching. She shared her love with many pets over the course of her life, from her first dog, Tiny, to her last betta fish, Ollie, and countless more in between.

Helen was always pouring love into something from sewing a dress, creating beaded jewelry, baking an apple pie or Christmas cookies, tending a garden or her flowers, and most of all her family. Helen was a very special woman, and she will be deeply missed.