Helen Clare Malloy

Helen Clare Malloy was born May 4, 1922, the daughter of Leo and Loretta (Harrington) Carey. Her only sibling was her brother, John, and they were best friends her entire life. They grew up on a farm north of Manilla, and Helen went to country grade school nearby before attending Manilla High School where she graduated with the class of 1939.

Helen attended Mercy Hospital School of Nursing, in Council Bluffs, and in May 1943, she worked for a year for Dr. A.L. Smith in Lincoln, Nebraska. Following, she served in the Army from April 12, 1945, until she was honorably discharged on November 16, 1946 where she earned the rank of 1st Lieutenant. She received several decorations and citations that included the American Theater Ribbon, AM Campaign Medal, A-P Theater Ribbon and the Victory Medal.

After the war, dancing was a popular entertainment, and Helen met husband-to-be Clair "Pete" Malloy at the Verein Dance Hall in Westside. They married on May 6, 1947, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Manilla. Pete and Helen moved to the farm north of Westside in 1951 and to their current home in Westside in 1969.

Helen went into private duty nursing for a while, but soon became a busy stay-at-home mom with five children, Mary, Katie, Pat, Mike and Sheila. In 1965, she resumed her nursing career working for Dr. J.L. Flood in Vail and Denison until she retired in 1984 at age 62. In retirement she learned to play bridge and enjoyed the many friends in her bridge group. She especially enjoyed socializing with friends, although she bemoaned the fact that she had outlived most of them. She also learned to china-paint and had given many lovely presents to her family and friends.

She had a strong faith in her Lord and was a longtime member of St. Ann Catholic Church in Vail. Helen was very proud of her Irish heritage. It must have been the Irish genes and maybe the red hair that gave Helen her adventurous spirit -- always up for a challenge. At the end of the day, Helen could honestly say she made a good life for herself and her family, through good times and bad, always keeping a sense of God's blessings, keeping her bit of mischief, and now and then enjoying a friendly dose of Irish whiskey.

Helen died peacefully on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, at St. Anthony Hospital in Carroll, attaining the age of ninety-nine years, nine months, and four days. Helen was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Clair "Pete" Malloy; son-in-law, Ed Lawler; grandson, Colin Malloy; and brother, John Carey.

She is survived by her children: Mary (Jim) Gray of Marion, Iowa, Katie Lawler of Carroll, Pat Malloy of Westside, Mike (Sue) Malloy of Omaha, Nebraska, and Sheila (Steve) Nebbia of Omaha; 15 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Rhea Carey of Grosse Pointe, Michigan; other relatives and friends.

In a life well lived taking care of others, first through her nursing career and then as the matriarch of her family, along the way she knew how to have lots of fun.

Visitation is 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a rosary at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, February 11, 2022, both at St. Ann Catholic Church in Vail. Mass of Christian Burial is 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 12, 2022 also at the church. Interment with Military Honors is in St. Ann's Catholic Cemetery in Vail. Memorials may be directed to St. Ann's Catholic Cemetery in Vail.