SOUTH HUTCHINSON - Helen Marie Vannaman was born Oct. 20, 1917, and died Nov. 6, 2006, at Mennonite Manor in South Hutchinson, Kan.

The daughter of Viola Hensley and Hiram Hirshel Brown, Helen grew up in rural Ford County, attended Bucklin High School and received her nursing diploma from St. Anthony Hospital, Dodge City, Kan., in 1938. She was a surgical nurse, a supervisor and did special-duty nursing.

Helen had two daughters, Kathleen and Janice, from her first marriage to Charles Herzer.

She married Arthur E. Vannaman in 1948 in Cimarron, and the family moved to Hutchinson in 1952. Helen worked at Grace Hospital for a time before devoting her attention to family and homemaking.

Helen was of the Christian faith, was a member of First Presbyterian Church, and was also a member of DAR. She is survived by two daughters, Kathleen Snell and Cheryl Goldsby, both of Hutchinson; three brothers, Eugene, HH, and George Brown; six sisters, Marion Hinck, Wanda Estes, Coral Schmidt, Evelyn Preston, Eleanor Hawes and Joyce Nantz; eight grandchildren, Lacey Goldsby, Lori Humiston, Linda Lett, Mark Munds, Leslie Caldwell, Greg Munds, Don Lett Jr. and Mary Fischer; 13 great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Helen was preceded in death by her husband of 45 years, Gene; a daughter, Janice Munds; a brother, Jack Brown; a sister, Frances Brown; and a great-granddaughter, Paisley Caldwell.

Services will be Friday Nov. 10th, 10 a.m. at Elliott Chapel, with Chaplains Melvin Walton and Art Maddock, and the Rev. Tim Soule presiding. Visitation will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at Elliott Mortuary.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Hospice Care of Kansas. Interment at Memorial Park Cemetery.

Personal condolences may be sent to www.elliottmortuary.com.