Helen Bealer

1922 - 2021

BEALER (EITEL), Helen

Helen Eitel Bealer died Sunday, August 15, 2021, after a long life filled with love and adventures. She was 99 years old. Mamie, as she was known by so many, lived life at full speed. A fifth-generation Chicagoan, she was born to Edmund Henry Eitel and Helen Messinger Eitel on July 1, 1922, and was just a little girl when the Great Depression hit. As a small child, Mamie and her sister Jane loved to play with dolls. She learned from her mother how to sew, and they had lovely wardrobes. Later, she attended Fairmont Junior College in Washington, DC, where she was active in the Dramatic Club and the Glee Club. In later life, she would use her talents as a soprano and soloist in several church choirs. Mamie joined the WAVES during World War II and was stationed in Oakland, CA. After the war, she returned to Chicago, where on a beach on Lake Michigan she met Alex W. Bealer III on a sunny Saturday afternoon. They were married on Valentine's Day 1947. Within three years, they were a family of four. Janet was born on Alex's birthday in 1948. Alex IV was born a little later. The family bought a house on Elm Street in Northbrook, IL, but during the Korean War, Alex III returned to active duty, and the family moved to Camp LeJeune, NC, where they welcomed their third and fourth children, Susie and Alice, into this world. After the war, the family moved to Atlanta, and Edmund joined the clan in 1954. The Bealers acquired a home in the woods near the Chattahoochee River in 1954, and that was Mamie's home until her dying day. Lately, she comfortably lived there with Edmund, dog Barney and cat Mitten. She will be missed by children Janet Rodie (Chris), Alex Bealer IV (Carol), Alice Bealer and Edmund Bealer; nine grandchildren, seventeen great- grandchildren and a host of cousins and friends. Those who preceded her in death including Alex III, daughter Susie Duncan and her husband (Gilbert), and her parents and siblings are eternally grateful now to have her company. A memorial service will be held at St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church, 4393 Garmon Rd., NW, at 1:00 PM, Saturday, August 21 (masks required), followed by a reception at the church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church for the Music Program.