Helen Louise Starling

Helen Louise Starling, 102, of Poplar Bluff died Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019, at River Mist Assisted Living in Poplar Bluff.

Helen, the youngest of three daughters of James and Minnie Pry Lamkin, was born April 20, 1917, in the Bay Springs community of Butler County. All three girls attended grade school in a three-room schoolhouse at Bay Springs, walking three miles to school. Helen graduated from Neelyville High School in 1935. In 1937, she and her husband Dick moved to Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, where Dick served three years in the US Army. After Dick left the Army, they lived in Nebraska before moving back to Harviell, where they went into business raising chickens and selling their eggs. Helen also worked as a teacher’s aide and helped with local election poles. Until she entered River Mist, she had attended Harviell Baptist Church since she was nine years old. She loved spending time with her family, her church, traveling and quilting.

Helen married Richard G. “Dick” Starling on Nov. 21, 1935, in Harviell. He preceded her in death in February of 1962.

Survivors include her nephew, Jay Brickell (Betty) of Poplar Bluff; a niece, Susan Golia (John) of Cathedral City, Calif.; great-nephews and nieces, Wade McGruder (Vivian) of New Port Richey, Fla., Sheldon McGruder (Karol) of Kennesaw, Ga., Geri Brickell Evans (David) of Ballwin, Mo., J. Scott Brickell (Stacy) of Franklin, Tenn.; great-great nephews and nieces, Gina and Michael Golia, Thomas McGruder, Matthew and Ansley McGruder, Sam Evans and Jake, Sara, Mary Clair and Ruthie Brickell.

Her parents, James and Minnie Lamkin; two sisters, Kate Miller and Ava Turner; brothers-in-law, Charles Miller, Arvel Brickell and Malcom Turner; two nieces, Jo Janet (Ed) McGruder and Ruth Brickell; a half-brother, Earl Lamkin; and two half-sisters, Bessie Sparkman and Mary Black also preceded her in death.

Visitation will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday at Cotrell Funeral Chapel, in Poplar Bluff with the funeral service following at 10 a.m. The Rev. Robert Edwards will officiate. Interment will be at Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Harviell First Baptist Church, P. O. Box 76, Harviell, MO 63945.

Cotrell Funeral Service is honored to serve the family of Helen L. Starling; online condolences at www.cotrellfuneralservice.com.

Paid