Helen (Noll) Benfer
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Helen (Noll) Benfer

Helen L. Benfer formerly Noll
Born 1920s.
Ancestors ancestors
Mother of and [private son (unknown - unknown)]
Died 2000s.
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Profile last modified | Created 26 Nov 2014
This page has been accessed 370 times.

Biography

Helen Noll was born in 1921 in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, the only daughter of George Noll (1893-1950) and Elsie Reed (1891-1957). She was baptized in Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lewisburg. She completed high school in 1939 at Lewisburg Jr-Sr. High School, Lewisburg and then graduated in 1941 from Williamsport Secretarial School, Williamsport, PA.

Helen met Robert Benfer through a mutual friend, and they began dating during the early years of WWII. They were married on 26 June 1944 at Helen's church, which Bob joined after their marriage. They lived that summer at her parents' home until he enlisted in September.

After graduating from secretarial school, she found a job as Secretary to the President of Pennsylvania House Furniture Co., working there during WWII until her husband returned from the War in July 1946. In addition to providing an income, the work helped her during the uncertainties of war with all three of her brothers serving in the military and then her husband joining the service in 1944.

After Bob returned, they moved to Milton where they set up their first home together on the upper level of 55 Upper Market Street in Milton, Pennsylvania.[1] On the lower level, Bob started a business as a cabinetmaker. In the early 1950's they moved to North 7th Street, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. During these years after the war, Helen stayed at home raising their two children until they were both in elementary school. In the mid 1950's she returned to Pennsylvania House Furniture Co. as the payroll clerk, retiring in 1983.

In 1958 using Helen's inheritance from her mother for the down-payment, Bob and Helen purchased a home at 1106 William Penn Drive, Kelly Township, Union County, Pennsylvania.

In 1996, due to the damage of decades of cigarette smoking, Helen had a serious stroke which left her with almost complete paralysis on her left side, needing a wheelchair. The following year, she fell and broke her hip the day before her 76th birthday. After surgery, she joked that she got 10 pins and 2 plates for her birthday. When Bob was diagnosed with colon cancer, she recognized that he could no longer take care of her. She chose to move into Buffalo Valley Lutheran Village Nursing Home, where she died a few years later.

Bob had died on Christmas Eve in 2003. A year later, 7 days before Christmas, Helen followed him. Their eldest niece commented that “all Aunt Helen did that last year was talk about how much she missed him. She joined him in Heaven in time for them to attend the biggest birthday party of the year.”

Sources

  1. Official 1950 Census Website; NARA; Milton, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania; ED 49-45; Image 13 of 44; Helen & Beverly Benfer
  • "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHHH-RTH : accessed 10 November 2015), Helen L Noll in household of George M Noll, Lewisburg, Union, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 0012, sheet 7A, family 196, line 33, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2150; FHL microfilm 2,341,884.
  • "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KQ6S-WTT : accessed 10 November 2015), Helen Noll in household of George Noll, West Ward, Lewisburg, Lewisburg Borough, Union, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 60-15, sheet 3B, family 66, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 3615.
  • Find A Grave Memorial# 101680408: Created by Forrest Fothergill, Record added Dec 03, 2012
  • Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 database on-line. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.
  • Social Security Death Index] (SSDI): "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JKH2-RPF : accessed 10 November 2015), HELEN L BENFER, 18 Dec 2004; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
  • Her obituary: Lewisburg Daily Journal; Publication Date: 21 12 2004; Publication Place: Milton, PA, US
  • In addition to hearing these details about her full name and birth throughout my life, the information matches in her high school yearbook and diploma, Social Security death index, 1930 and 1940 federal census, and a letter from her brother about her marriage. The death information is accurate because I was present.-- Beverly Benfer

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