Helen Frances Skidmore

Helen Frances (Pearsall) Skidmore, 98, died Monday evening, Aug. 22, 2005, at the Mon Pointe Nursing Home in Morgantown, W. Va.

She was the daughter of Carrie Belle (Naylor) and William Nathaniel Pearsall, the second of their three children. She was born on Feb. 16, 1907, at home near Hillsdale, Illinois. Helen was valedictorian of her Hillsdale High School class. She attended Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill., taught in a one-room school for four years, and graduated from the University of Illinois with an AB in Liberal Arts and Science, majoring in English and minoring in Latin and French. She taught high school English for four years. In 1937 she married J. Russell Skidmore and moved to Midland, where he worked for The Dow Chemical Co. In Midland, Helen established herself as a successful piano teacher, having up to 70 students at a given time. A number of her students went on into careers in music. She was a founding member of the Liberal Arts Club of Midland, and she belonged to several bridge groups and square dance clubs. In 1971 she was awarded the "Musician of the Year" award by the Midland Music Society, and she was twice president of the Midland Music Teachers' Association. She was a certified piano teacher with the Michigan Music Teachers' Association. Helen was a member of the First Baptist Church in Midland, where for many years she directed the Junior Choir. Upon retiring, she and Russell moved to Deltona, Fla., where they lived for 21 years. She was active there in a garden club, bridge clubs, square dancing and golf. In 2001 she moved with her husband to the Village at Heritage Point in Morgantown, and she spent her last year in the Mon Pointe nursing care facility. Helen was preceded in death by her husband, Russell, a brother, Robert Pearsall, and a sister, Florence Pearsall.

She is survived by her sons, William Russell (Dorothy) Skidmore, of Morgantown, W Va., and James Robert (Nancy) Skidmore, of Columbus, Ohio; and six grandchildren.

The family prefers donations in lieu of flowers be given in the name of Helen Skidmore to the First Baptist Church, 915 E. Sugnet Road, Midland, Michigan, 48642.