Helen Marie (Holcomb) Seiler

Helen Marie Holcomb Seiler of Leopold, Mo, was born to Eternal Life on March 9, 2025, she was born on March 4, 1923, in Edansville, Mo, she was the daughter of James Charles and Isabel Agnes Jaszarowski Holcomb. 

Her family celebrated her 102nd birthday at Stone Bridge Nursing Center in Marble Hill on March 4,2025, where she had resided since June 2024. 

Helen grew up in Palace, Mo, and graduated from Licking high school in 1942. She went to work at Curtiss-Wright Aircraft Manufacturing as a Riveter. Later during WW II she did clerical work at Fort Leonard, Mo. She attended Webster College in St Louis to become a teacher. In 1950 she came to Leopold to teach 3rd and 4th grade. 

She met Orval Joseph Seiler thru her coworker Dorothy Lou Holzum Arnzen. Orval and Helen married on December 1,1951, at St John Church in Leopold. 

Born to their union were five children:  Annabel Seiler Engelen, Marian Seiler Hutchings, John Seiler, Jesse Seiler, and Joseph Seiler. Together they raised their children at their home in Leopold. Helen taught them life skills of milking, gardening, sewing, helping others, and to be God-fearing people. She always walked, drank three cups of milk and took two naps daily.  

She was active in her church, St John, serving in office for the PCCW, teaching elementary religion class, cooking vegetables at the church picnic, and starting the picnic Gift shop. She sewed her own clothes, pieced quilts and quilted them, crocheted and embroidered.  Her house flowers were beautiful. Baking bread was always part of feeding her family. She was also a den mother with Pack 315 Cubscouts.

Surviving her are four children:  Annabel Engelen, Marian (Charles) Hutchings, and Joseph (Vickie) Seiler, all of Leopold, John (Mary) Seiler of Cape Girardeau, Mo., and 

Phyllis Lynn of Texas, a daughter in law. She is survived by 21 grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren, and great, great grandchildren. 

She was predeceased by her husband, Orval, in 1994, by son, Jesse, in 2019, son n law, Bob Engelen in 2017; two sisters, Bessie O’Hara and Grace Usinger; three brothers, Harvey, Herbert and John Holcomb; and two grandchildren. 

Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 13, 2025, from 4:00 to 8:00 pm.  Rosary Service will begin at 7:00 pm, at the funeral home. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, March 14, 2025, at 10:00 am, led by Fr. Vincent Joseph, VC, at St. John Catholic Church in Leopold. Burial will follow at St. John’s Catholic Cemetery.