The Life of HELEN MARIE KENT SEALS
Helen Marie Seals was born Helen Marie Kent, on a farm about a mile and a half southwest of Clearfield, Iowa, along with a twin brother, Colonel Ellsworth Kent. She lived with her family there, along with her paternal grandparents until she was 12 (her grandmother passed away when she was 2 years old).
At 12 years old her family and grandfather moved to a farm in Norwalk, Iowa. A year later, when her grandfather died, they moved into Des Moines. She met and married Earl W. Seals on June 8, 1924, when she was 16. By age 21, they had three children, and were in the midst of the great depression. Carl mined coal and farmed. She never cared for “things”- she didn’t wear make-up or jewelry, and didn’t care much for clothes, or furniture. When she passed over, she still had the same kitchen table they had bought used when her son Earle, who is now 81 was 6 months old.
Her great love was her garden and her flowers, roses, lilacs, snow ball irises, peonies, lily-of –the valley, wisteria, tulips, four-o-clocks, Irish bell flower, rose moss, petunias, verbena’s, flowering crab apple, grape hymnists,. She also had grapes and strawberries. Many mornings in summer found her out in her garden at day break, 5 A.M., picking green beans and checking to see how much it all grew over night. The she would bring the bails of green beans up to the house, kick off her red rubber boots at the door, wake Carl and make his coffee and breakfast, see him off to work, then get busy cleaning and canning her green beans.
In the late 50’s Helen and Carl joined the Easton Baptist Church across the road from them. Helen taught Sunday School there for a little over 2 years, embroidered and crocheted many items for their church bazaars, baked cakes for the same bazaars, was treasurer of the Women’s Group at church, made choir robes, and went on many heart and diabetes drives in her neighborhood. Helen was pretty much an introvert, but loved her husband, her children, and grandchildren, her home and her flowers. She will be missed by those who knew her.
Helen Marie Seals was born April 4, 1908 in Clearfield, Iowa and died September 15, 2010 in Des Moines, Iowa. Preceding her in death were her parents, Ben and Ruth Kent, twin brother Colonel Ellsworth Kent, her husband Carl W. Seals, a son Carl R. (Dick) Seals, a daughter-in-law Jearlion (Jerry) Seals, a son-in-law Guy J. Stookey, and two great grandsons, Steven Aaron Cross, and Richard Earle Seals. Survivors include a son, Earle Seals, and wife Min, a daughter-in-law Joyce Seals, who cared for her for many years, a daughter, Bonnie Jean Stookey, many grandchildren, great grandchildren and great, great grandchildren. She will be missed.