Helen Adelaide Konkle

She was born on January 25, 1932 to George N. Rogers and Helen E. Rogers (Hill) in South Portland, Maine. Her father was in the Army and served in WWII and Korea.

She was the oldest of three, her brother George N. Rogers Jr. was born in December of the same year and they attended school together and they both graduated from Dartmouth High School in Massachusetts in 1950. In her High School yearbook it mentions how kind she was and how much she loved sports. Her brother George Rogers Jr. (Bud) preceded her in death.

The year following her high school graduation she enlisted in the Air Force. She played on the women's basketball team for the Air Force. In the Air Force she met and married the father of her kids who was also in the Air Force. As a military family she traveled to many states & military bases. She would make extra money by ironing and sewing uniforms. She took up cake decorating which she was really good at decorating and made additional money.

Her first job after getting divorced was working at California Almond Growers. One day while she was at the bank making a deposit they asked her if she wanted a job, her deposit slip was filled out perfectly and all her currency was face up and headed in the same direction. She applied and got the job. She moved up into the merchant teller position which she loved. She retired from Bank of America after a lengthy career and then one of her merchants asked other merchants from the bank if they knew how to get a hold of her. He wanted to hire her to assist his check cashing business. She went back to work until she was 70 years old.

She bowled on a league at McClellan bowling alley and volunteered at the hospital on base. She kept score for her son's little league teams and helped her daughter's Girl Scout troop. She passed the Girl Scout tradition down through four generations. Three of her great granddaughters are either currently in Girl Scouts or have been in Girl Scouts.

She had four children that she raised by herself after getting divorced without any family close by to help. Her daughter, Linda (Brad) Sons, Paul JR. (Belinda), John (Kim) George/Eddie (Kim). She was so proud of them, and the lives they have led and the grandchildren they gave her.

She LOVED being a Nana and a Great Nana. She always told them that she LOVED them a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck. Heather, Tracy, Joanne, Alaina, Bud, Amy, Markie, Tiffany, Cory and Stephen. Her grandson Jamie preceded her in death.

Great grandchildren ~ Alyssa, Alex, Desiree, Zachary, Haley, Arya, Brinna, Kaydince, Mickael, Savanna, Ryelee, Everette, Aidyn, Avery, Sean, Ayden, and Mason, she loved going to their birthday parties and seeing them at the family functions. Two of her great grandkids lived next door to her their entire lives. She loved being outside and and watching them ride their bikes and scooters, roller-skating, and playing basketball. They would even ask her to come outside to watch them. She would go to all their baseball games, basketball games and all of their concerts. She was really proud of how well they played the piano. Four of the great grandkids she babysat when they were babies/toddlers. She loved to have them sit on her lap and read books to them everyday that she had them.

She loved the family traditions that her children kept going. As many family members as possible getting together for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. She really loved the every Sunday night dinner with family. It was one of things she missed the most when she wasn't home. She especially loved the summer months with BBQs and the great grandkids swimming.

Most of her friends preceded her in death so we are sure they are all in heaven enjoying each other's company. Two of her friends she was so close to that she trusted with giving them power of attorney over her kids when they were all minors and she was in a tragic motorcycle accident. Recently while she was in Eskaton for rehab after falling she absolutely loved to go for car rides so she could visit many of her friends and neighbors on her street. Most of her neighbors were close to her, coming to visit her when she was at Eskaton. They brought her flowers and stayed for extended visits. At home they all exchanged Christmas presents and some would make her meals. She has lived at her home for the last 42 years. On her street she was the mom, grandmother, friend and the neighborhood watch. She had many extra keys and passcodes to her neighbor's homes.

While at Eskaton she met many other patients & residents who were either in rehab or living there. She had many employees who loved on her.

Some who called her mom. Others called her nana. Everyone who saw her trying to petal on the Cubi or learn to walk again encouraged her. She loved to be outside and work outside. She swept the leaves off the patio and she would have her family push her wheelchair outside to go for walks.

She always loved working in the yard and all the flowers at her house, especially her roses, gardenia bush and the flowers leading up to her front door.

In lieu of flowers donations can made in her memory to either St. Jude one of her favorites to donate to for the children and her little note pads and address labels or to a Veterans organization, Gary Sinise Foundation or Tunnel To Towers Foundation.