Helen Petersen Wrigley

long time resident of Beatrice, passed away September 10, 2010 after a brief illness just 3 months shy of her 90th birthday. Helen was the daughter of Michael and Anna Monasky who traced their roots to Bogliarka, Slovakia near the present day borders with Poland and the Ukraine., She was born December 23, 1920 the third child and first daughter in a family of 12 in the steel town of Clairton, Pennsylvania. Helen graduated from the St. Francis School of Nursing in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania and worked briefly in McKeesport, Pennsylvania as a nurse before joining the Navy Nursing Corps at the onset of WII. She was stationed at Camp Schumacher, Livermore, California, a staging area and hospital for the war in the Pacific. There she met her first husband, John William Jennings Petersen, a Sea Bee in the Navy Construction Corps on leave from his first tour of duty in the Pacific. They corresponded daily through the rest of the war and when he returned at the end of the war, they married in a Quonset hut church at Camp Parks, Livermore in December 1945. They moved to Beatrice, near the present-day site of Redwoods Junior College and the Petersen family farm, raised two children, and built their own home and a construction business. After John's early death when Helen was 49 she went back to nursing, managed a doctor's office, attended junior college where she enjoyed art courses, and was actively involved in the lives of her grandchildren, Greg and Kelly. At the age of 70 she married her second husband, James Wrigley of Eureka. They had a wonderful 7 year retirement together, traveling and dancing and enjoying their 5 children and many grandchildren. Helen was known for her sweet nature and her refusal to dwell on the misfortunes that came her way. In 2009 when staying in her cherished home of 52 years became difficult, she moved to a small apartment at Timber Ridge. Her friend, Merv Selvage, continued to take her to church on Sunday and to the Friendship Circle on Monday evenings. A lifelong Catholic, Helen was a member of St. Bernard's parish. Helen is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, John and Lorna Petersen of Humboldt Hill; her daughter, Carolyn Petersen of Washington, D.C.; and many friends and relatives in Pennsylvania and Northern California. The family wishes to thank Dr. Jack Irvine, her long-time physician, who cared for her for decades with kindness and skill; the staff of Timber Ridge who watched over her gently during her last year and a half; and the staff of Saint Joseph's Hospital Comfort Room who provided a sensitive and supportive environment during her final days. A graveside service will be held at St. Bernard's Cemetery, Eureka on Wednesday afternoon, September 15, at11 a.m.with Fr. Michael Cloney, a family friend. A get-together to celebrate Helen's life will follow.The family requests, in lieu of flowers, that those who would like to remember Helen in some way donate to the St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation in support of the End-of-Life Program (Address: 2700 Dolbeer St., Eureka, California). Please sign the guest book at www.Times-standard.com, click obits.