HELEN ELAINE BOYER
Helen Elaine Boyer, daughter of Raymond Arthur and Cleta Eugence (Mathis) Keller was born July 21, 1934 in Harrison County, MO. Also born of this union was her sister, LaVon. The family moved to Diagonal where she lived for two years. They then moved to Lotts Creek and lived with her grandparents, Vern and Floy Mathis. She attended school in Harrison County, MO, Watterson County School and Mount Ayr High School. She got her CNA certificate while in high school and began working as a nurse. Elaine worked at the Ringgold County Hospital for one year when it first opened.
Elaine met her first love while he was a patient at the hospital. She was united in marriage to Joseph Boyer Jr on December 18, 1951 in Kellerton. To this union two children were born Ardis and Debra. In 1968 she went back to work at the Ringgold County Hospital and continued to work there til 1971. She worked Clearview Home in Mount Ayr from 1971 til 1974. She then went to work at Best Western Motel in Lamoni where she got to meet many famous singers that had performed at the K Bar C. She helped get the Lamoni Manor Nursing Home started and went on to have a career in nursing where she passionately cared for the elderly. During her career, she also acquired her Medication Aide Certification.
Elaine enjoyed going to the Regular Baptist Church in Mount Ayr, embroidering, reading, gardening and watching her grandchildren grow. She also enjoyed going to country music jam sessions where she met her second love, Carl Lilly, who taught her to dance. They spent many years enjoying the music and dancing.
Elaine passed away Tuesday, October 15, 2019 at the Greater Regional Medical Center in Creston. She was preceded in death by her parents; parents-in-law; grandmother – mom Floy Mathis; sister, Irene Keller; brothers, Jimmy Fredrickson and Donald Keller; nephew, Timmy Keller.
Elaine is survived by her companion, Carl Lilly, of Mount Ayr; two daughters, Ardis (Jeff) Dawson of Decatur and Debra (Gary) Saville of Mount Ayr; grandchildren, Barbara (Tracy) McClain, Melanie (Lawrence) Blocker, Ellen Saville, Lorrie (Shannon) Scrivner, Mary Saville, Joe (Becky) Saville, Joshua Swigart; many great and great-great grandchildren; brother, Robert (Nancy) Keller, Sr.; sister, Sarafina Pedersen; sister-in-law, Linda Keller; brother-in-law, Ronald Boyer; many nieces, nephews and extended family.
Services were at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 19, 2019 at the Regular Baptist Church in Mount Ayr, IA.
Officiating was Rev. Seth Denney.
Songs were “Beautiful Shore”, “Just Beyond the Sunset”, “Angels Among Us” and “When I Get Where I’m Going”.
Active casket bearers were Joe Saville, Tracy McClain, Michael Sluyter, Shannon Scrivner, Joshua Swigart and Lawrence Blocker.
Honorary casket bearers were Barbara McClain, Lorrie Scrivner, Melanie Blocker, Mary Saville, Ellen Saville and Madison Lamb.
Burial was in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Lamoni, IA.
Memorials are to Tingley Meal Site.
