Helen P. Davis

Creal Springs -- Helen P. Davis, 95, of Carbondale, formerly of Creal Springs, died on Monday, November 22, 2010, in Memorial Hospital of Carbondale. Helen was born on April 20, 1915, in Creal Springs, to Otto and Pearl (Oliver) Peterson. She married Curtis Davis on February 21, 1942 in Charleston, Missouri. She is survived by her children, Robert C. (Bob) Davis and wife, Connie, of Marion and his twin sister, Roberta (Robbie) Clark and husband, Dave, of Indianapolis, Indiana. She also had two loving granddaughters, Lori (Ryan) Benson of Carmel, Indiana and Becky (Jon) Wright of Grabill, Indiana. Her living legacy are great-grandchildren Emma, Noah, Sarah and Anna Benson and Isaac, Owen and Eli Wright. She is also survived by her brother, Guy (Yolonde) Peterson of Marion, Illinois, sisters Betty (Tom) Cox of Belleville, Illinois and Vera Gentry of Toms River, New Jersey. Helen was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, an infant son, Sammy, and her brother, Jim Peterson. Funeral services will be at 1 P.M. on Wednesday, November 24, 2010 at Mitchell-Hughes Funeral Home with Rev. Tim Woodard officiating. Burial will follow in County Line Cemetery in Creal Springs. Visitation will be Wednesday from 11 A.M. until the time of service at the funeral home. Miss Helen (as she was known) graduated from Southern Illinois University with a degree in education. Her children and grandchildren followed her in that vocation. She taught first and second grade at Creal Springs Elementary School for over 40 years. She loved all of her students and enjoyed teaching, even substituting after she had retired. She was also a member of the Creal Springs United Methodist Church for over 60 years and played piano and organ there for most of that time. Helens love for God shown throughout her life and she lived that life as a witness to many. The family would like to thank the staff at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale as well as Helia Healthcare of Carbondale and the former staff of Whispering Oaks in Marion, for their care of Helen over the years. She will be sadly missed by all who knew her.