Koelemay, Helen Louise Chadock
6/17/2010
HELEN LOUISE CHADOCK KOELEMAY
JULY 7, 1919 – JUNE 17, 2010
Helen Louise Chadock Koelemay, wife of the late Rev. John B. Koelemay and mother of five, died June 17, 2010 at age 90 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee of complications from lymphoma. Mrs. Koelemay had recently relocated from her home of 30 years at Toledo Bend Lake, Many, Louisiana to be closer to two of her daughters.
Helen Koelemay was born July 7, 1919 in Shreveport, Louisiana, the second of three daughters of Carl Marcellus Chadock and Julia Evelyn Busbey. She graduated from Byrd High School in Shreveport in 1936 and earned her associate degree in horticulture from Delgado Community College in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1981. She studied vocal music both privately with Elsie Duringer and as a special student at the SMU School of Music under Elise Golden. She was an active member of the Shreveport Choral Club and her church choirs and often played piano and organ at church services and special events.
Helen married John Koelemay on December 27, 1940 in Shreveport and had celebrated almost 67 years of marriage at John’s death in 2007.
Mrs. Koelemay was known for her smile, kindness, love of music and energetic participation in her husband’s Methodist ministry, which located the family in Marble Falls and Dallas, Texas and in Baton Rouge, Gilbert, Shreveport, Many and New Orleans, Louisiana. She was an innovative and creative artist, who worked in stained glass, oils, textiles, needlecrafts, recycled materials and gardening. Her work includes the six stained glass windows at Prospect Methodist Church in Florien, Louisiana and numerous murals, materials and decorations for Methodist events, including the 1975 World Council of Methodist Bishops in New Orleans. As a leader in the auxiliary at Methodist Hospital in New Orleans East, she planted and tended 4,000 daylily plants to benefit both patients and gift shop operations and over the years developed beautiful hybrid specimens that she shared with family and friends.
Helen Koelemay is survived by her five children, Kathryn “Kay” Koelemay Dicharry (Doug) of Medina, Washington, Douglas Koelemay (Carol) of Springfield, Virginia, Maurice “Maury” Koelemay (Fon) of Longmont, Colorado, Maurine Koelemay Creed (John) of Double Springs, Alabama and Karen Koelemay Boston (John) of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; 14 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to “Centenary College of Louisiana” (2911 Centenary Boulevard, Shreveport, LA 71104) for “The Rev. John B. Koelemay and Helen C. Koelemay Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund.”
