Helen Marie Horn

Helen Marie Horn passed peacefully to join the Lord on November 25, 2023. Helen was born in Taylor, TX on January 10, 1931, to Marie and Tom Kropp. She grew up in the Granger/ Taylor area and graduated from Granger High School in 1949. Upon graduation Helen moved to Austin and began working at FW Woolworth while she attended Durham’s Business School, where she earned her executive secretary certificate. In 1954 Helen met a handsome young man named Jerry Horn and they were wed on November 10th, 1956. They settled in Austin where they raised their children, Phyllis and Howard. After the birth of children began her career at the Texas Department of Highways and Public Transportation as an executive secretary for the head of the Automation Division where she worked for 31 years, until retirement in 1993. Helen took pride in and excelled in everything she did. Her talents made her stand out so much that she was given countless awards for going above and beyond in her job. Besides her work, Helen gave of herself in many ways, volunteering in the PTA and at church, cooking for bake sales, friends, and neighbors, sewing costumes for school plays and the dance team, and giving her time in countless ways. Helen never said “no” – not out of obligation, but because it gave her pleasure to say “yes”.

Growing up on a farm in a big family instilled many great values in Helen. She learned how to work hard, to sacrifice for others, and to take pride in a job well done. She acquired a tireless work ethic which she carried with her all her life, and that was evident in all she did. Upon retirement she became more involved in her volunteer activities. She was a devout Christian and a proud member of St. Louis Catholic Church for over 60 years. One of her passions was flower arranging and she shared that talent at church for many years on the flower guild, and over 15 years as a volunteer at the Seton Medical Center gift shop. She was also a member of the “Ladies of the Knights of Columbus” and was a member of the Women’s Auxiliary. Cooking was another passion of Helen’s. People always said if you left her house hungry, it was your own fault. She was always the first to take food to someone in need or to welcome a new neighbor with a plate of brownies. She drove friends to doctor appointments, and to the grocery store. She loved people and made everyone around her feel special. Her greatest passion was spending time with and caring for her grandchildren. She attended many sporting events and dance recitals, but mostly just loved being with them, cooking for them, reading stories, playing games, etc. She always said if she had known grandchildren were going to be so fun, she would have had them first! She also loved her neighbors, her nieces and nephews, her Godchildren, and her caregivers.

Helen was preceded in death by her parents, Tom and Marie Kropp, and by her loving husband of nearly 64 years, Jerry Horn, along with several siblings. She is survived by two children: Phyllis Milstead and her husband Mark of Austin, TX, son Howard Horn and wife Lisa of Colleyville, TX; along with grandchildren Robert Milstead, Jay Milstead (& wife Lexi), Jill Osgood (& husband Ben), Virginia Horn and Clayton Horn, brother Leroy Kubacak (& Wife Alice), sister Evelyn Kneblik, sister-in-law Evelyn Kropp and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home (5416 Park Crest Drive, Austin, TX 78731) on Thursday December 14th from 5:00 to 6:30 pm, followed by a Rosary service at 6:30. Funeral Mass will be held on Friday December 15th at 11:00 am at St. Louis Catholic Church in Austin (7601 Burnet Road 78757), followed immediately by internment at Cook-Walden Capital Parks Cemetery (14501 North IH-35 Pflugerville, TX 78660). Pall Bearers will be Howard Horn, Clayton Horn, Mark Milstead, Robert Milstead, Jay Milstead, Ben Osgood, and Kyle Jacobsen.

In Lieu of flowers, donations may be made (by check) to the St. Louis Catholic Church

(7601 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78757) with a notation in memory of Helen Horn, or to a charity of your choice.