Helen R. Boyer

Helen R. Boyer, 87, of Benton Harbor, went to be with her Lord on Sunday, April 21, 2002 at Lakeland Continuing Care Center-St. Joseph. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 10:00 A.M. Wednesday at Peace Lutheran Church, St. Joseph with Rev. Paul Koehneke officiating. Burial will follow in Crystal Springs Cemetery. Friends may call on Tuesday from 6-8 P.M. at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. Memorials may be made to Peace Lutheran Church, Hospice at Home or Berrien County Cancer Service. Those wishing to share a memory on line may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Mrs. Boyer was born on May 9, 1914 in Duluth, Minnesota to William & Nellie (Roettger) Broeker. She was a graduate of St. Joseph High School Class of 1932. On September 29, 1932 she married Boyce Boyer in St. Joseph. She was employed as a bookkeeper for the family business-Boyer Brake Service of Benton Harbor and later for Pascatto Tile Co. also of Benton Harbor. Helen was a member of Peace Lutheran Church. She was well known for making pine cone wreaths which she displayed at many area craft shows. She enjoyed the St. Joseph Brown Bag Concerts on the bluff, the Sunday Municipal Band Concerts, was an avid gardener, and loved Lake Michigan. Helen is survived by her son-Gaylord (Ruth) Boyer of Modesto, CA; her daughter-Sandra (Bill) Davis of Castaic, CA; her daughter-in-law-Beth Boyer of St. Joseph; six grandchildren-Kimarie Chartier of Placerville, CA, Joelle (Eric) Coulter of Anchorage, Alaska, Greg (Anna) Boyer of Modesto, CA, Cheri (Les) Casey of Modesto, CA, GiGi (Wayne) Young of Chinese Camp, CA, Kelly (Mike) Schemenauer of Benton Harbor; 8 great grandchildren; and extended family members-Joyce Balka of St. Joseph, Jeanne Shuler of St. Joseph, and Sandy Warren of Watervliet. She was preceded in death by her husband Boyce on October 1, 1983, and two sons-Robert Boyer on May 22, 1933 and Ronald Boyer on May 28, 1983.