Helen Wilcox

Helen Pierson was born November 1, 1920 in Sidney, Iowa, the daughter of Lester and Beulah May (Westin) Pierson. In the spring of 1921 at the age of six months, she moved with her parents and five siblings to a farm near Burlington, Colorado. She attended school in Burlington at the Smokey Hill school through the 10th grade. After enduring the hardships of the great depression and dust bowl years of the 1930's, she married Donald Webb in March of 1940. At that time Don was working on a farm near Idalia, CO, where their first child, James, was born.

They were eventually able to rent their own place and began their life long careers as farmers. Along the way, three more children arrived, Danny in 1944; Jenienne in 1949 and David in 1953. In 1948 Helen's parents retired and Don and Helen rented his land and moved to the farm where Helen grew up. In the beginning crops were good, and in 1951 they were able to buy the only new car they ever owned. But, by the mid 1950's dry times and dust storms returned. Don had always been fascinated by the trees and green hills of Missouri. In 1960 they bought a farm near Long Lane, MO. They changed their operation from raising crops to raising cattle and milking cows. As time passed the children started moving away, so they quit milking cows and Helen went to work for H.D. Lee Company in Lebanon, MO in order to keep up with the payments on the farm and buy additional land. However, in 1977 Don became ill and passed away. Helen was not able to keep up the farm by herself, so she sold most of the land but continued to live on the remaining 40 acres and work as a seamstress in Lebanon. She made many friends at work and they would share driving duties to work. Helen began going to senior dances in the area where she met Arthur Wilcox. They began dating and eventually married in 1983. She moved to Arthur's 40 acre farm and continued working until she retired in 1985. They continued going to senior dances and raising a few cattle along with goats and chickens. Arthur passed away in 1996, but Helen stayed on the farm and was active in the neighborhood and joined a quilting club, and along with going to senior dances she remained active.

With the help of her daughter-in-law, Marylin, she stayed on the farm until she was over 100 years old. In July of 2021 she moved to the Clinton Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Clinton, MO, where she passed away on May 26, 2025 at the age of 104.

In addition to her husbands and parents, she was preceded in death by her children, Danny Webb, David Webb and Jenienne Williams; one grandson, Blake Webb; and her seven siblings.

Surviving are one son, Jim Webb (Marty); one daughter-in-law, Marylin Webb; nine grandchildren, Kelly Webb, Molly Parratt, Becky Stevener, Don Webb, Danielle Weeks, Desirae Webb, Eric Webb, Curtis Webb and Jason Moore; numerous great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Graveside services will be at 2:00 p.m. Friday, May 30, 2025 at the Liberty Cemetery in Long Lane, MO. Services are under the direction of the Bradley & Hadley Funeral Home, Clinton. Condolences may be left online at www.bradleyhadley.com.