Helen E. Mc Cartney

“Seeing is believing.” For many, those words simply represent a motto. But for Helen E. McCartney, it summarized in every way who she was. She was modest, quiet and observant, taking in everything around her and always thinking before acting. She was a realist, someone who was efficient and practical in everything she did. She was a friendly person who truly cared about those around her. Helen was born on March 3, 1923 at her family home in Findlay, Ohio. She was the daughter of Fay and Mildred Feller. She was raised for 2 years in Fostoria, Ohio, the rest of her formative years were in Findlay, Oh, where she was brought up to be tolerant and trustworthy. As a child, she learned to be conscientious, responsible and punctual. These were all traits that she would carry with her throughout her life. As a young girl, Helen was always aware of how others around her felt and this quality served her well. With a deep capacity to tolerate the feelings of others, Helen was generally able to avoid conflicts. It seemed as if Helen was the family member who was always working to keep stress at bay. Preferring a quiet environment where she could concentrate, Helen also had the ability to relate well with her family and friends. Helen was raised with seven siblings. She had one older brother Charles (Elbert) and 6 younger siblings; Louise, Paul, Mary, Bob, Ruth and Larry. Helen was constantly involved in activities with her family. Helen and her siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up but they deeply cared for each other and shared many life experiences over the years. Growing up, Helen was one of those children who didn’t need to be in the center of a whirlwind of activity. She was content to entertain herself. Helen was never pushy when it came to games and other activities, but rather, she was able to enjoy the pure fun these could bring. In just about everything she did as a child, Helen was intent on pleasing both the adults and the other children around her. Helen took part in a number of activities as a child. It is unknown if she took part in any sports, however she was not involved in any organizations. In her spare time she liked to read her bible. Helen's memorable achievements included learning how to play the piano. Helen enjoyed learning. She always had a great memory and was particularly skilled at retaining factual information. Helen was generally quiet in class, learning best through observation. She often showed great concentration and was competent at completing the tasks at hand. Good with details, Helen was painstaking and accurate in her efforts. All of these talents culminated in a successful high school career. She graduated from Findlay High School in 1941. Helen enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite subjects and teachers. She graduated third in her class. Helen had a good disposition for the challenges of college. She always enjoyed reading, so all of those lengthy required reading assignments seemed to be less of a burden for her. In fact, Helen seemed to absorb and remember everything she read. Not all things came easily to Helen, however, and she found success by being a diligent and accurate person who would dig into a project and work through until it reached its completion. She was very thorough and labored long and hard in order to reach her goals. She earned her Secretarial Certificate from Findlay College. Not Applicable. Her favorite course was Shorthand. Most folks would say that Helen was shy until they got to know her. Those who were privileged to know her well learned that she was a solid, good friend. Helen was reluctant to generalize about people, and she based her friendships on her personal experiences. Because of this, Helen best trusted those people that she truly knew. She was concerned about how those around her felt, and she always seemed to uncover the positive side of people. She could relate to others and had the ability to see their point of view, to “walk a mile in their shoes,” as the saying goes. The friends that she made, Helen kept. While growing up, some of her best friends were Marge Taylor and Edith Snyder. Later in life, she became friends with Mickie Carlin and Eloise Altman. Love can’t be defined but must be experienced. That was so true for Helen. On April 7, 1944 on Easter Morning Helen married Gerald Ellsworth McCartney at It was a home wedding in a duplex house on Elm Street in Findlay, Ohio. She was totally committed to Gerald and maintained traditional ideals about marriage. It was as if Helen naturally sensed her spouse’s needs, and accepted those feelings unconditionally. Although Helen disliked conflict, she did not take flight from discord, but rather sought to preserve harmony even during the most trying times. Helen was a good mother to her children. She had “old fashioned” parental values and could handle typical family conflicts in a fair and calm manner. Because she trusted emotions, Helen was reluctant to force issues and used gentle persuasion to resolve situations. In this way she seemed to radiate an aura of warmth and caring to those around her, always thinking before acting. In addition, Helen was a master planner. No matter how hectic life around her might be, she seemed to know and track everyone’s schedule. Helen was blessed with four four sons; Gary (Penny), Ron (Cynthia), Doug (Sharon), Rick (Gloria). They were also blessed with seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, Lisa, Melanie, Philip, Steven, Beverly, Jonathon and Joshua. If you gave Helen a deadline, she would meet it. At work, Helen was always on task. Without hesitation, Helen could adhere to any assignment and see it through to its completion. Her primary occupation was homemaker. She was employed for 2 years at the Page Dairy Co. She worked for an older couple as a housekeeper for 3 years. The rest of the time she was a homemaker and caregiver. During that time, Helen excelled in working with small groups in order to complete assignments. She was able to quickly grasp concrete ideas and could organize and plan the best way to accomplish things with remarkable consistency. Helen was good at staying on track and was considerate in listening to what others had to say. In this way, Helen had a true gift for being able to come up with practical resolutions to difficult problems. She was often the team member who managed to put forth a win/win solution for all parties. Helen liked to experience things first hand, in addition to simply learning about them. This quality influenced Helen's choice of leisure time activities. A methodical and patient worker, Helen preferred to set aside uninterrupted time to work on her hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were reading her bible and praying for the missionaries on their birthdays. Helen was content to sit quietly alone, enjoying her hobbies all by herself and could often be found just reading about her favorite pastimes. Due to her excellent organizational skills, Helen was a welcome addition to the professional and community organizations to which she belonged. Helen could bring established, successful methods to the discussion table, along with a generous helping of common sense. Helen was good at making and keeping schedules and never got bogged down in unnecessary details. In college, Helen joined the Secretarial Club. Throughout her later years, Helen was an active member of the Women's Ministries at her local church. Helen was active in the community. She was practical and grounded and based her decisions on first hand experience. She was responsible and liked working to achieve results rather than just chattering about possibilities. Helen was a member of several community groups, serving on committees for the Women's Ministries at her local church, First Assembly on Ash Avenue. Politically, Helen was involved with Christian Women of America. An individual who respected and maintained traditional values, her faith was important to Helen. Her compassion, consideration and sympathy toward others was evident in her personal beliefs. She was a member of First Assembly of God in Findlay, Ohio for 70 plus years. During that time, she was involved in Women's Ministry, Sunday School teacher, chior, ladies trio, played piano for youth group, nursing home ministry, short term missions trip to Africa. Anyone who traveled or went on vacation with Helen had smooth sailing. It was often taken for granted that she was the trip planner. She would start early and examine all of the possibilities, selecting the best and most effective options. Favorite vacations included a trip out west to Washington State to visit her sister Mary. When Helen's retirement finally arrived in Never, she was well prepared. She had taken the time to learn about her various options and chose her course wisely. Her new life involved relocating to Sunrise Assisted Living. In retirement, she found new pleasure in reading her bible and other religious literature and praying for others. Even in retirement, Helen continued to stay in touch with her old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in the community and felt fulfilled with the opportunities retirement offered her. Helen passed away on March 25, 2012 at The Goerlich Center in Sylvania, Ohio. Complications due to dementia. She is survived by four siblings; Mary Jepson, Bob Feller, Ruth Browne and Larry Feller; Four sons, Gary (Penny), Ron (Cynthia), Doug (Sharon), Rick (Gloria); seven grandchildren, Lisa McCartney, Melanie Waddle, Philip McCartney, Steven McCartney, Beverly McCartney, Jonathon McCartney, Joshua McCartney; seven great grandchildren, Alida LeRoux, Aidan McCartney, Sarah Waddle, Lukas Le Roux, James McCartney, Emily and Katie Waddle. Services were held at Neville Funeral Home in Holland Ohio. Helen was laid to rest in Maple Grove Cemetery in Findlay, Ohio. It is said that some people can’t see the forest for the trees. Helen was able to focus on each individual tree, tending to its needs, thus making the forest stronger as a whole. Helen was a trustworthy, pragmatic and sympathetic person, the kind of woman to whom everyone was drawn. She was thorough and practical. Helen Mc Cartney was very literal.with her words. You always knew where you stood with Helen. She will be missed.