Helen Irene King, 96 of Scott City, Missouri, formally from Ashby, Nebraska, died Sunday, August 30, 2020 at Hunter Acres Care Center in Sikeston, Missouri. She was born June 13, 1924 in Hyannis, Nebraska to Chloe and Lola I. Ridgeway Keller. She married Arthur Keith King on January 15, 1944 in Hyannis. He preceded her in death on July 31, 1994.
Helen grew up in the Sandhills of Nebraska, attending one room country schools. Most students at that time rode their horses to school and she had many stories about their adventures of going to school. Helen then attended Hyannis High School and graduated at 16 years old. She took classes in the summer at Chadron State College so that she could teach. Starting that fall she began her teaching career and taught several years in country schools until children were born to Keith and Helen. Besides being a mother, Helen was a homemaker, ranch hand, gardener, 4-H leader, friend to everyone, and good neighbor. Keith and Helen owned a ranch in Cherry County and it has been said that it was in the middle of nowhere with the closest town being an hour drive away. But, both enjoyed the beautiful sandhills. That is where she lived until she reached 80 years old when she moved to Missouri to be closer to her daughter Marjorie and family.
She is survived by a son, Milton (Marcy) King of Eden, Georgia; two daughters, Ardith (Glen) Piihl of Lakeside, Nebraska, and Marjorie (Rennie) Phillips of Scott City, Missouri; a son-in-law, Garry Vargason of Bassett, Nebraska; a sister, Delores (Jerry) Jones of Springfield, Missouri; five grandchildren, Desmond (Dawn) Piihl, Denys (Kevin) Gilman, Amanda (Jeremy) Fox, Victor (Jeanne) Phillips and Tait Phillips and nine great grandchildren.
She was also preceded in death by two daughters, Rosemary Vargason and Rhonda Smith; two brothers; two sisters and a son-in-law.
No services are scheduled at this time.