Helen Margaret Hansen Simpson (nee Louis) passed away at 5:55 a.m. on Wednes-day, December 8, 2021 at Columbia Acute Care and Hospice Center, Columbia, Missouri. In her final days, her family stayed by her side and she was able to talk by telephone with many of her grandchildren. Helen was born on October 10, 1926 in Dwight, Illinois, at a nurses’ home, to parents Andrew and Myra (Doughan) Louis. She was the youngest of four children including siblings Michael Louis, Teresa Fogarty, and Martha Lambert. She remembered having whooping cough as a child of age 3 or 4. She grew up during the Great Depression when times were hard. She walked from the family farm to a one-room country school at Emington, Illinois, and graduated in 1944 from St. Paul High School in Odell, Illinois. Her childhood chores included carrying corn cobs and coal into the house to heat the stove, driving horses around and around to get corn into the crib, washing dishes, separating cream, and hanging clothes out to dry. After her high school graduation, she and her girlfriends moved to Chicago where Helen was employed as a civilian secretary for the Army Air Force from 1944-1946. She said this was one of her favorite times in life. She loved to dance to the music of the Big Bands of the World War II era, and wear her fashionable fur coat during cold weather. She married Russell P. Hansen on August 10, 1946 in Dwight, Illinois. The couple began their married life together in Galesburg, Illinois. Together they ran a family grocery store, “Russ’s Grocery,” in Abingdon, Illinois from 1955-1981. There were six children born of this marriage. During these years, Helen kept busy raising the children, working in the grocery store, serving as a Cub Scout den mother, a member of the Legion Auxiliary, and supporting her Catholic church by serving on the Altar and Rosary Society. She was employed by Combined Insurance from 1979-1986, and Care at Home from 1986-1993. Russell preceded her in death in 1993. Helen was united in marriage with David D. Simpson in 1996. They lived in River Grove, Illinois, then Geneva, Illinois. They were married 20 years, during which time she enjoyed spending time with the Simpson family, traveling, socializing with friends, garage sales, and watching the Chicago Cubs baseball games. David preceded her in death in 2016. Shortly after David’s death, Helen moved to Columbia, Missouri to the Mill Creek Assisted Living facility. She met new friends and sang in the holiday choir performances. Twice in 2020 she was quarantined for two weeks to her room to protect her and other residents from the Covid-19 coronavirus. She enjoyed family visits and watching hummingbirds outside her window. During her life, Helen had many hobbies including sewing, crocheting, collecting antiques, bowling, traveling, visiting the cabin on the Mississippi River, reading, playing cards, assembling jigsaw puzzles and watching Lawrence Welk episodes and Chicago Cubs games. Helen was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings and their spouses, both husbands, her oldest child, Terry, and great-grandson, Alex; mother-father-sisters-and brothers-in-law, and two nieces. She is survived by sons Lonnie (Kathy) Hansen of Columbia, Missouri; Rick (Paulette) Hansen of Columbia, Missouri; daughters, Kristy (Ike) Cundiff of Abingdon, Illinois; Kathy (Jeff) Nelson of New Braunfels, Texas; and Dana (Richard) Wherley of Eureka, Illinois. She is also survived by 14 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren, and one more great-grandchild and one great-great-grandchild on the way in June, 2022. She is also survived by two step-children, Donald Simpson of River Grove, Illinois and Mary Ellen (Kenneth) Pollina of Geneva, Illinois; five step-grandchildren and two step-great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and friends in Illinois, Missouri and California. Helen lived a long, productive life with unwavering faith, love and hard work. She had a zest for life and a great sense of humor. She will be sorely missed by those who loved her. Arrangements are being handled by Hager Memorial Home, Dwight, Illinois. A funeral mass will be held in St. Paul Catholic Church, Odell, Illinois on Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 10:00 a.m., followed by a celebration of life dinner at GD’s Saloon, Odell, Illinois. Interment of ashes will be in Rock Island National Cemetery, Rock Island, Illinois. Memorials may be made to St. Paul Catholic Church, 313 West Hamilton Street, Odell, Illinois 60460.