Helen M. Belshan

Helen Maxine Barber was born to Harry E. and Edith L. Garrison Barber on August 10, 1918, in Wichita, KS. Wichita was a destination on the old Chisholm Trail and only a decade or so before had been considered a part of the Wild West. She lost her parents at a very young age and was raised by her grandmother. Upon graduating from high school, Helen studied nursing and got her RN degree. This led to enlistment in the Army, and she received her commission as a medical corps nurse in WWII. Helen met Edward L. Belshan at Camp Robinson, AK. They married May 3, 1942. After leaving military service, the couple lived in Arizona for several years, where Helen cared for an elderly couple. Ed and Helen moved to Albert Lea, where they enjoyed some 30 years. Helen was again involved in nursing and a member of the Church of Christ, where she played music for many years. The couple moved to Lake Stella near Dassel before moving back to Prescott, AZ. In Prescott, Ed and Helen attended the Church of Christ and the VA Chapel. Survivors include sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law: Emily Cech and Fred Gladys Belshan of rural Glenville, Helen Dockwell of Hayward, Milo Betty Belshan of Northwood, IA, and Alva Belshan of Dallas, TX; and many nieces and nephews. Helen was preceded in death by her parents; grandmother; husband, Edward in 1998; brothers-in-law: Harry Dockwell, Tony Belshan, Richard Cech, Anton Cech, and Louis Belshan; and sisters-in-law: Lillian Belshan, Shirley Belshan, Doris Belshan, Josephine Cech, and Alice Belshan. As Helen had no family relatives in Arizona, we acknowledge and thank the many caring friends who helped her there, with special thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Alibrando and Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hinton. Helen was a gracious, caring, compassionate "Kansas Belle," befitting the nursing profession. God bless her memory.