Helen Harrington

HELEN T. HARRINGTON, 84, of Arcola, IL passed away at 8:59 P.M. Thursday, August 27, 2009 at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, IL.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Arcola, IL. Father Barry Harmon will officiate. Private burial service will be held later. The Edwards Funeral Home is assisting Helen’s family with arrangements.

Helen was born on October 31, 1924 in Arcola, IL. She was a daughter of Peter Sylvester and Nellie Catherine (Haley) Harrington.

She is survived by three brothers, Thomas Haley Harrington and his wife Betty of Everett, WA, John Patrick Harrington of Paris, IL and James Harrington and his wife Marjorie of Arcola, IL; two brother-in-law, Francis Conley of Princeville, IL and Robert Inyart of Charleston, IL., 22 nieces and nephews, 50 great nieces and nephews and 17 great-great nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, one brother Father Barnabas Harrington and three sisters, Mary Jane Saunders, Elizabeth Inyart and Joan Conley.

Helen was a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Arcola, IL.

She graduated from Eastern Illinois Teachers College in Charleston, IL and following in her mother’s footsteps, Helen taught school for over forty years. She taught in Villa Grove, Carrolton, Charleston and Arcola, where she retired from formal teaching in 1986. However, she continued to teach life’s many lessons to all she touched.

She enjoyed cooking, great food and fine wine, playing bridge with her many bridge partners, reading and traveling, having been to Europe many times. She always enjoyed having company and had a special knack for making everyone feel right at home. Her home was always open and she served as hostess to numerous family celebrations and gatherings with her many friends and neighbors. In addition to her brothers and sisters, her family included her many nieces and nephews and the numerous students whose lives she touched in a positive way. Her directness and strong convictions left little room for one to wander where she stood on any given issue. She had a defined sense of purpose for her life and relied on her strong faith to see her through.

Memorials may be made to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Renovation.