HELEN E. MERRICK

HELEN E. MERRICK - CRAFTSBURY - Helen Ellis Merrick, 91, died peacefully at home in Craftsbury on Monday, April 16, 2012, in the loving care of her husband and daughters. She was born in Bethlehem, Pa., on July 15, 1920, the daughter of Francis and Margaret (Francis) Ellis. She earned a bachelor's degree in art history at Smith College in North Hampton, Mass. Helen's career included drafting zoning maps for Cambridge Mass.; drafting for the B-52 Boeing Bomber in Seattle, Wash.; and quality control for Wright Aeronautical during World War II. She also worked in a greeting card company creating color separations and for many years as a clerk for the Women, Infants, and Children program in Morrisville. Helen married Addison Merrick on June 7, 1952, and they spent their first year of marriage in a fire tower in Montana. Among their homes was a houseboat in Seattle, Wash. Her family was always her biggest joy. The family moved to Vermont from Massachusetts in 1968. They built a stone house in Craftsbury which Helen designed, and they moved into it in 1970. Helen went to all the basketball games and town events and often offered to drive the other kids if their parents couldn't. Driving was one of her biggest pleasures and she would sometimes just drive around the back roads taking in the scenery. She drove to the Willey's Store in Greensboro every day to get the New York Times so she could do the crossword puzzle and keep up with the news of the world. Craftsbury was her dearest home, but she always held her first hometown, Montclair, in her heart. Anyone who complained about New Jersey to her would get an earful. Among her other jobs were knitting hats for Moriarty in Stowe, working on a census, and working as a social worker for the state of Vermont. She used her drafting skills to make a map of Craftsbury with the names of all the homeowners on it and to volunteer on the town's zoning committee. She used her artistic talent on home portraits for people around town and family Christmas cards. She was a voracious reader and enjoyed her visits to the John W. Simpson Memorial Library in East Craftsbury, which included a visit with Sherry and other friends there. Helen also enjoyed her time in the Greensboro Kazoo Band, which featured visits to play for area nursing homes. She leaves her beloved husband of 59 years, Addison; daughters, Bethany M. Dunbar and boyfriend, Jim Bowes, of West Glover, and Ann Elizabeth Harrington and husband, Steve, of Burlington; four grandchildren, Tristan Dunbar, Katie Dunbar, Jamie Harrington, and Willa Harrington; a nephew, Bill Ellis of Clifton, N.J.; and a niece, Susan Kruckow and her husband, Jim, of Elmira, N.Y. She was predeceased by her parents; as well as two brothers, Richard and William Rogers Ellis. A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 28, 2012, at 11 a.m. at the United Church of Craftsbury in Craftsbury Common, with Pastor Alan Parker officiating. Final resting place will be in the Andersonville Cemetery. The Malcolm R. Davis Funeral Home of Craftsbury Common is assisting the family with arrangements. Contributions in her memory may be made to the Orleans-Essex VNA & Hospice, 46 Lakemont Road, Newport, VT 05855; or to the Alzheimer's Association, 300 Cornerstone Drive, Suite 128, Williston, VT 05495.