Helen M. Carlson

Helen M. Carlson, 90, passed away Thursday morning, October 29, 2009 at Midland Hospice. She was born June 2, 1919 on the family farm in Morris County and was the seventh of ten children to Ivar E. and Birttie E. (Harris) Holm.
Helen attended a one room Swartz School and graduated from Dwight High School. She then attended Kansas State University for two years and later graduated from Clark Secretarial School in Topeka. She was a secretary for Congressman Ed Reese in Washington D.C. and later secretary for Sloan – Hamilton Law Firm. She also was employed with the Kansas Inspection Bureau and was a secretary to the Base Commander at Harlengen Air Force Base. She later was secretary for the Insurance Committee of the Kansas House of Representatives.
She married Frank E. Carlson on October 8, 1944, he survives. Also surviving are two daughters, Pamela (Mike) Clutter of Topeka and Nancy Carlson (James Camey) of Dallas, TX. Grandchildren Todd Clutter of Overland Park, KS, Cory Clutter of Topeka, KS, Alexandra Staudt (Steve) of Spring, TX, Brendan Camey of Fort Worth, TX; sister Marge Haub of Leawood, KS; and two brothers Loren Holm of Dwight, KS and George Holm of Abileen, KS.
Helen was an active member and Elder of Trinity Presbyterian Church and for many years was co-chair for American Field Service. She welcomed into her home her AFS daughter Jean Webster Walker (Jim) of Sheffield, England and for a short time Teresa Valenzuela (Antonio) from Mexico and presently of Los Angeles. Helen was a loving wife and mother and will be missed by family and friends.
Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, November 2, at Trinity Presbyterian Church. Visitation will be from 4:00-5:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 1, at the church. Burial will follow at Penwell-Gabel Cemetery. Memorial Contributions may be made to Trinity Presbyterian Church, 4746 SW 21st St., Topeka, KS 66604 or Midland Hospice Care, 200 SW Frazier Circle, Topeka, KS 66606.