Helen (Atkins) Annable

Helen Atkins Annable, 94, of South Bend,went on to eternity on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at Creekside Village, Mishawaka, IN. Her parents, the late Zigmond and Julia (Ragan) Atkins met in New York after immigrating to the United States from Hungary. They later settled in Oberlin, Ohio, where Helen was born. She would fondly regale stories of her parents and their life on the farm. She was preceded in death by 4 sisters & seven brothers, lamenting that God ignored her request made at a young age stating she wanted to be the first to die. She, also, often claimed that getting old was for the birds, even if we don’t know which birds prefer this. Helen married her classmate John B. Annable on August 30, 1947. They shared the exact same birthdate of November 22, 1927 but were very different, even in height, as John stood a foot and half taller than Helen. She was widowed on March 15, 1979. Together they had four children. James Atkins Annable, their second son, also preceded her in death on July 19, 2013. Helen is survived by two sons, John B. (Linda) Annable of Sammamish, WA, and Joel (Denise) Annable of LaPorte, IN; daughter, Joan Maggard of Lexington, KY; 18 grandchildren & 21 great-grandchildren. She was very supportive and involved in their lives. Helen’s big personality couldn’t be contained in her small stature. Her intelligence, fed by her voracious reading since childhood, was evident by her ability to answer the questions on Jeopardy. She articulated her view clearly to everyone and would dissolve certain conversations with selective hearing. Despite her spitfire personality Helen above all else was exceptionally devoted in her faith, praying for us all every day (knowing we could use it). As a devout Catholic, Helen served the South Bend Catholic community for more than 40+ years in various roles and became a Third Order Franciscan (Mount Alverno Chapter) because of her deep devotion to St. Francis. She enjoyed many religious pilgrimages to the Holy Land and Rome and many Marian apparitions’ sites. She would recall how there was not a more beautiful painter than God as she took in the vast landscape of wildflowers out her train window going to Jerusalem. She enjoyed doing crafts of various sorts, playing cards, reading books, and gardening. Her tenacious, resolute spirit lives on and she will be missed. Visitation will be Friday June 10, 2022, from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Kaniewski Funeral Home, 3545 N. Bendix Drive, South Bend, IN 46628. A rosary will be recited at 4:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1:30 p.m. Saturday June 11, 2022, at St. Anthony de Padua Catholic Church, 2310 E. Jefferson Blvd., South Bend, 46615 with burial to follow in St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park, Granger, IN. Memorial contributions may be made to Right to Life. To send online condolences, please visit www.kaniewski.com.


 

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