Helen (Lineberry) Nolan

Helen Ruth Nolan, 99, of Frankfort, passed away May 3,2023 at Wesley Manor. She was born on March 21, 1924, in Indianapolis to Rev. Frank and Mabel (Fordyce) Lineberry. She grew up in the parsonage at the Elkhart United Methodist Church. During that time, significant world events such as the Great Depression and WWII influenced her life. She talked about the many times unemployed hungry men would stop at their back door and her mother would always find a little something to feed them. The young men who were part of the church's youth group went off to war and she told how it impacted her when the first one died, which was happening to her generation all over the country.

Helen graduated from Elkhart High School in May 1942 and married William (Bill) Elliott in July.  He then left for active duty in the Coast Guard. Helen worked in a factory to support the war effort until her first child was born in 1943. When her husband returned from active duty they moved to Port Angeles, WA and she began work at the Pacific Northwest Bell Telephone office in Seattle. When the marriage ended, Helen moved her family of 3 children and widowed mother back to Indiana and continued her work as a telephone operator at Indiana Bell. In August 1957, Helen married Clinton County farmer Gilbert Max Nolan and became part of the Beard-Hopewell farm and church community. Her grandfather and father both had served as pastors in that same church.

Helen was a 50 plus year member of the Beard Chapter Order of the Eastern Star, where she had served as Past Worthy Matron, and then moved her membership to Clinton Chapter #6 in Frankfort when the Beard Chapter closed. She was a longtime member of the Hopewell United Methodist Church where she served with the United Methodist Women. Helen also enjoyed being in the local friendship group at Beard, gardening, farming, cooking, quilting, and sewing.

Surviving Helen are a daughter, Ruth (Elliott) Wiley; son-in-law, Vern Patchett; grandchildren, Teresa (Scott) Peitsmeyer, Douglas (Rebecca) Wiley, Alexander (Dr. Mark) Tuttle, Chad Elliott, Trisha (Greg) Cunningham, Michael Patchett, and Greg (Sandy) Patchett, and several great-grandchildren.

Helen was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Max of 40 years; son, Jim Elliott, daughter, Janice Patchett; sister, Virginia Record; granddaughters, Kara Lee Wiley and Melissa Goodwin.

Visitation will be Saturday, May 6, 2023, from 12pm until the start of the funeral service at 2 pm at Day & Genda Funeral Home in Frankfort, with Pastor Mark Miller officiating.  Burial will follow in Hopewell Cemetery. Memorials in Helen’s name may be made to Hopewell Church or Hopewell Cemetery.