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Helen Crouse

Helen Louise Crouse, age 105 of Radnor, died Friday, October 25, 2013 at her home. She was born January 17, 1908 in Fairfield Township, Columbiana County, Ohio to the late Clyde and Belle (Brown) Moore.

In 1931 she married her husband, Kermit Guy Crouse, and he died in 1973 after 42 years of marriage.

She spent her childhood in Columbiana, and her early life in Boardman. When she retired, she spent her remaining years in Radnor, where she lived with her son. Helen was a member of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Prospect, where she was the Matriarch of the Church.

In high school, she played basketball and received the honor of all-state guard. Helen was valedictorian of her graduating class of 1926. While attending college the next year, she was elected May Queen of Mt. Union College in 1927. She was a member of Alpha Xi Delta Sorority at Mt. Union, where she graduated with a 2-year teaching degree in 1928. She was a member of the Youngstown Comets, a professional women’s basketball team.

She was a Sunday school teacher for the Martin Luther Lutheran Church in Youngstown for 25 years. She served as the director of the Boardman school system cafeteria, also for 25 years. She was a member of the School Retirement System, AARP, Prospect Senior Citizens, the Ohio State Basketball Rebounders Club, where she was an original member, Ohio AFSCME, Jolly Joysters Club in Marion and Delaware Counties, the Questors Club in Boardman, and she volunteered at Youngstown South Side Hospital.

Helen was an avid fan of the Ohio State Women’s Basketball team, holding season tickets every year since they became available. She was known and loved by every head coach and team since the 1970s, being honored for various milestone birthdays through the years. She attended every home game that she was physically able, right up through the 2012-2013 season, having seen the last game the Lady Bucks have played so far. She had her season pass for the 2013-2014 season.

She is survived by two sons, John Arnold Crouse, Radnor; David Edwin (Doris) Crouse, Township of Washington, New Jersey; three grandchildren, Cheryl Soderman, Kevin Crouse, Michelle Geoghegan; eight great-grandchildren, Sean, Brian and Allison Rau; Walker, Colin and Caroline Crouse; Matthew and Elaina Geoghegan; a sister, Isabelle Lower, Fort Collins, Colorado.

She was preceded in death by two brothers, Robert and Edgar Moore; and two sisters, Mildred Bonfert and Grace Rupert.

Friends may call on Wednesday, October 30, 2013 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 PM at the St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Prospect. Funeral services will be Thursday at 11:00 AM at the church with Pastor Rahel Hahn officiating. Graveside services will take place the following day at 2:00 PM in the Columbiana Cemetery chapel, 347 East Park Street, Columbiana, OH 44408.

Memorial gifts may be made to St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 200 East Water Street, P. O. Box 25, Prospect, OH 43342 or Martin Luther Lutheran Church, 420 Clearmount Drive, Youngstown, OH 44511.

Condolences and remembrances may be expressed at www.stofcheck-ballinger.com