Date of Birth:
Wednesday, November 23, 1927
Date of Death:
Saturday, June 12, 2021
Age:
93 years old

Helen Ruth Meyers

Helen Ruth Meyers, of Byron, died at age 93 in her home on Saturday, June 12, attended by family and friends. A memorial service is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, July 31, at the Byron United Methodist Church. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Pastor Butch Lewellin will be presiding, at the invitation of Pastor Beth Perez.  In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Byron United Methodist Church.

Helen was born on November 23, 1927, the first child of Sara Agnes and John Norman McHolme, and grew up with her brother and two sisters in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania. After high school, she studied at Allegheny General Hospital School for Nursing then began her career in Pittsburgh in 1948 as a registered nurse. She and Glenn Meyers were married on Christmas Day, 1948, and after raising six children they divorced in 1987. The family moved to Byron in 1969, and she worked at Rochester Methodist Hospital until her retirement in 1992, first specializing in kidney transplants and then in obstetrics.

Helen served for six years on the Byron School Board and was active in the Byron Garden Club for decades. She was instrumental in planting flowers in public spaces, adding to her “green thumb” reputation with the beauty of her own gardens. She earned the title of Master Gardener from the U of M Extension Office and sought to “pull weeds” anytime, anywhere, including the UMC, Mayowood, and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

She was enthralled by the rugged beauty of the BWCA; every call of a loon was as thrilling as the first. Always curious to see what was around the next bend, in her retirement she traveled adventurously with her sister Bon, visiting five continents and nearing both poles. These loves of gardening, nature, and traveling were shared with friends and strangers alike, and if she wasn’t busy with those, she was READING. She enjoyed being in the Byron Book Club, and even after all her travels, the Kasson Public Library was one of her favorite places in the world. At age 86, Helen realized a lifelong dream by hiking several miles of the Appalachian Trail, and most recently enjoyed the BWCA in 2012 with three generations of family.

Helen was an active volunteer through her 80s. On a regular basis, she read to elementary school students, donated blood, organized plant swaps, and helped in the UMC kitchen. She delivered Meals on Wheels for many years, and proudly served on the Rochester Methodist Hospital Auxiliary by answering questions at the Mayo Clinic’s information desks. She never stopped driving, often taking friends to church or movies, and unfailingly met her dearest friends for weekly coffee. With her children grown, all of Byron became her extended family.

Helen is survived by her sister Bon, sons Gregg, Glenn, Gary, and Gordon, daughter Gwen Williams, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her sister Peg, brother Jim, and daughter Gail.