Helen Beamish

1921 - 2025

Helen (Tomlinson) Beamish
Born: July 22, 1921
Died: February 18, 2025
Helen (Tomlinson) Beamish (aka Grandma Beans), whose living legacy stretched 103 years, passed away February 18, 2025, with family by her bedside at Oak Crest Retirement Center in DeKalb, IL.
Born July 22, 1921, in Marseilles, IL, the daughter of Joseph and Myrtle (Slover) Tomlinson, Helen spent much of her youth in Genoa, IL. Soon after graduating from Genoa High School in 1939, Helen married Loyd Beamish on Dec. 21, 1940. Helen and Loyd's marriage spanned 71 years, until Loyd's death in January 2012.
At the age of 23, Helen contracted polio that permanently affected the flexibility in both index fingers, resulting in the end of her career as a hairdresser. Polio had no impact on Helen's knitting skills, however. The treasured blankets she knitted over the years for her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren are proof of that.
In addition to time with family, the joys in Helen's life included the lasting relationships with parishioners from St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Sycamore, IL, and 70 years on the church's altar guild; vacations to the family cabins in Cameron, WI, a turtle sundae, crossword puzzles, sharing a loaf of homemade bread or chocolate chip cookies, the camaraderie of her bridge club, and her determination to defeat anyone who stepped up to a game of cribbage.
Perhaps the most amazing trait for a person who had a perfect driving mark into her mid-90s and communicated comfortably via text from her flip phone was that she lived at home for more than 102 years. Always self-sufficient and never wanting to be a bother to anyone, Helen nonetheless drew the support of her family, caring neighbors including Gary Carter and Josh and Ginny Hunter, the regular visits from friend Vickie Hernandez and special lunches with nephew Dennis Tomlinson.
Helen spent the last 11 months of her life under the care of the attentive staff – that included her granddaughter Trisha (Drake) Crittenden - at Oak Crest.
Helen is survived by two daughters, Jerilynn (Bob) Wilson of Cameron, Wis., and Jacquelynn (Bob) Drake of Clare, IL; five grandchildren, Kim (Jim) Craig, Katie (Dave) Rossdeutcher, Rob (Jani) Wilson, Ryan (Trisha) Drake and Trisha (Josh) Crittenden; 11great-grandchildren, Andy (Tasha) Craig, Nikki (Matt) Zellman, Josh (Janessa) Rossdeutcher, Tara (Nick) Beall, Jordan (Olivia) Rossdeutcher, Bailey Wilson, Jennah Wilson, Tyler Drake, Allie Drake, Drake Crittenden, Neve Crittenden; and eight great-great grandchildren, Lucas Zellman; Isabelle, Mya and Ivy Craig; Cooper and Quinn Rossdeutcher; Braden and Brody Beall.
Among those preceding Helen in death were her husband, Loyd; parents, Joseph and Myrtle; three brothers, Bernie, Wayne, and Robert; three sisters, Theo (Martinek), Grace (Shellito), and Doris (Lewis); fellow parishioners of St. Peter's Episcopal Church, neighbors and friends (including those in her cherished bridge club).
The family is planning a celebration of Helen's life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation in Helen's honor to St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Sycamore.