HELEN MARIE LAIRD
Helen Marie (Payton) Laird, daughter of Everett and Fern (Axtell) Payton was born in St. Joseph, MO on March 14, 1928. She was later joined by brother Rex in 1931. Helen graduated from Kellerton High School in 1947.
On December 11, 1954 she was united in marriage to Donald Keith Laird. They lived most of their life in the Ringgold County area. In 1974 they became parents to LaDonna (Duffield) Prime. In 1976 another daughter Kristina (Thomas) Nail joined the family.
Helen enjoyed being a housewife, farm wife, aunt and mom. She enjoyed hobbies like gardening, embroidery, spoiling her animals and tending to her plants. Helen was a master cook at frying chicken, but never ate it. When asked why she would reply “I raise them, butcher them and cook them, I am not going to eat them”. Helen also enjoyed working in the yard taking care of numerous animals. Her peonies and irises were always her favorites. She also liked to keep everything. She kept articles about current events, and ones that included her family and friends. Helen kept a daily diary for many years until her eyesight prevented her from seeing.
Helen entered Mount Ayr Health Care Center in 2014. She was like an extra mother to the staff. She enjoyed sharing stories with them. She never asked for anything and was the most selfless person you ever met.
Helen departed this life with her daughters, LaDonna and Kris along with her niece, Susie, by her side on July 25, 2019 at the age of 91 years, four months and 11 days old.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Everett and Fern (Axtell) Payton; husband, Donald Laird; son-in-law, Larry Nail; brother, Rex (wife Virginia) Payton; nieces, Amanda Payton and Twila Jeanne Diveley; her brothers-in-law, Gerald Laird, Gene (wife Dorothy) Laird and Ted Laird; sisters-in-law, Shirley Stephens, Alice, (husband Don) Wicker, Louise (husband Ralph) Ogier and Beverly Spriggs; along with several nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews.
Left to cherish her memory are her daughters, LaDonna (Doug) Prime and Kristina Nail (friend Jeremy Shelley); grandson, Dreu (wife Nici) Thomas; great grandson, Sawyer Thomas and soon to be great granddaughter, Huxlee Thomas; many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews; sister-in-law, Juanita Laird; brothers-in-law, Ivan Stephens and Wayne Spriggs; a host of family and friends.
A memorial fund has been established in her name to be decided later.
Service were at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 27, 2019 at the Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr, IA.
Officiating was Pastor Bill Armstrong.
Songs were “In the Garden”, “When the Role is Called Up Yonder” and “Lead Me Home”.
Active casket bearers were Richard Lacy, Jeremy Lacy, Gary Diveley, Chad Goodrich, Clark Heman and Garey Woollums.
Honorary casket bearers were Dreu Thomas, Sawyer Thomas, Huxlee Thomas, Dave Rainey and Tom Giles.
Burial was in the Maple Row Cemetery in Kellerton, IA.
