Cover photo for Helen Broyles's Obituary
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1932 Helen 2011

Helen Broyles

January 5, 1932 — March 17, 2011

Helen Margaret (John) Broyles, 79, a resident of Chillicothe, Mo., died of complications from Alzheimer’s on Thursday, March 17, 2011.

Helen was born on Jan. 5, 1932, in her maternal grandparents’ home in the family farm south of Mt. Moriah, Mo. She was the youngest of three daughters born to Catherine Marie Webb and Harry Beatty John.

She graduated in 1950 from Princeton High School in Princeton, Mo., and attended the University of Missouri where she was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. While at Missou she met Gerald Johnston “Jerry” Broyles. They were married on Easter Sunday, April 13, 1952, in Princeton.

After marriage, she and Jerry resided and worked on the Broyles family farm southeast of Princeton, and she worked at Farmers Home Administration in Princeton until starting a family. She made homes in Trenton, Mo., in 1960, and moved to Chillicothe, MO., in 1962, as Jerry pursued a career in real estate. Jerry and Helen lived the rest of their lives in Chillicothe.

In addition to being a homemaker, Helen was a member of the Chillicothe United Methodist Church, the Order of the Eastern Star, and the Daughters of the American Revolution. While her daughters were in school she worked with Girl Scouts, church youth, and a chapter of Job’s Daughters, an international fraternal organization for young women with a Masonic connection.

Her hobbies included reading, and she passed that passion to her daughters with weekly excursions to the library when they were young. She also traveled with family members throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Survivors include two daughters, Rita Lynne Broyles-Greenwood, Chillicothe, Mo., and Sheri Jan Broyles and husband Paul John Walker, Argyle, Texas; four grandchildren, Harold Ervin “Bill” Greenwood and   wife Arianna, Tacoma, Wash., Margaret Louise Greenwood, Springfield, Mo., John Forrest Walker, Austin Texas, Kathryn Marie Walker, Argyle, Texas; one great-granddaughter Alexis Taylor Greenwood, Tacoma, Wash.; a sister, Emma Louise (John) Arnold, Independence, Mo.; a sister-in-law Margaret Marie (Smith) Broyles, Bethany, Mo.; and eight nieces and two nephews in Missouri, Arizona, Illinois and Ohio.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Catherine Marie Webb and Harry Beatty John; her husband Gerald Johnston “Jerry” Broyles; her sister Elizabeth Evans (John) McAuley and husband, J.J. McAuley, Tempe, Ariz.; her brothers-in-law Robert “Bob” Erstine Broyles and wife Blendine, Trenton, Mo., Roy Albert Arnold Broyles, Bethany, Mo., and James Louis Arnold, Independence, Mo.; a niece and a nephew.

Arrangements are under the direction of Heritage Funeral Home, Chillicothe, Mo.

A family visitation will be held at Heritage Funeral Home on Friday, May 6, 2011, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., and a celebration remembering her life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, 2011, at the United Methodist Church of Chillicothe.  To honor Helen’s love of reading, memorial contributions may be made to Amy’s Story, a 501(c)3 foundation promoting children’s literacy. Contributions may be left at or mailed to Heritage Funeral Home, 3141 N. Washington St., Chillicothe, MO 64601

Online condolences may be left at www.heritage-becausewecare.com

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Helen Broyles, please visit our flower store.

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