Wednesday (February 1, 2012) at Carle Foundation Hospital with her husband, son and daughter at her side. Dorothea Elfreida Helms, 81, of Urbana, died at 7:25 pm

It was the expressed desire of Dorothea that services be attended by family only. Private services will be held on Saturday (February 4, 2012) at Renner-Wikoff Chapel. Her eldest son, Theodore C. Helms, will preside over the services. There will be no visitation. In lieu of flowers, it was her request that memorials be made to Empty Tomb of Champaign.

Dorothea was born to Thado Abegg and Erika Ranke Abegg on November 25, 1930 in Peoria, Illinois. She was preceded in death by her parents, her eldest brother, Theodore Abegg, and her youngest son, David M. Helms. She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Lester L. Helms, her son, Theodore C. Helms, her daughter, Margaret A. Helms, her brother, Carl F. Abegg, her five nephews and two nieces, and all their spouses, children, stepchildren, and their children's children.

She lived in this community for 53 years, coming here in 1958 after a year in Lansing, Michigan, and prior to that, time in Pomona, California and West Lafayette, Indiana. She worked at the Daily Illini for many years and was actively involved in the former Speechmates and League of Women Voters.

She came from that generation of plucky children who were expected to go to public school, learn the language from their classmates and come home and teach English to their immigrant parents. She loved children dearly, breaking into a big smile at the sight of any toddler, and never failing to shower them with praise wherever she found them. An avid reader, she was especially devoted to the literature of the Bloomsbury circle. One of her happiest memories was of the year she spent exploring London on foot, visiting the cemeteries of Hampstead and High Point to find the grave sites of Bloomsbury authors. She was appreciative of Dr. Yang of Community Elements for the many, many years of a good life he made possible for her. Finally, she had always been a devoted reader of local obituaries, intrigued and charmed by the diverse interests and life experiences of people in her community.