Helen E. (McMahan) Relfe - Enge |
| Posted 2008-12-05 by Judy Wight Branson |
| The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona Sunday, July 1, 2007 Helen McMahan Relfe Enge passed away quietly on Saturday, June 23 at her home surrounded by family and friends. She was born in Clarkdale, Arizona March 22, 1921. She was from an original Arizona pioneer family; her mother was the last child of nine that arrived in the territory of Arizona in 1886 in a covered wagon and settled in the Verde Valley. Their adventures are now a matter of local history and are recorded not only in several books, but as living history at Fort Verde, where Helen spent time as a girl. Raised in Clarkdale, Prescott, and then Phoenix, Helen was a cowgirl in the truest sense. After attending Phoenix College she went to work for Reynolds Aluminum. There she met and fell in love with Howard Relfe, who shared her birthday as well as her pioneer spirit. She and Howard had a wonderful group of friends, who played bridge, danced the night away, and understood what is was to both work and play with gusto in a community they helped build. In 1947 Helen and Howard had their first baby girl, Lynne Francis Relfe, and in 1950 their second, Patricia Gail Relfe. Howard was an agricultural accountant and banker, and Helen was fortunate enough to be able to see her daughters off to school, work in Howard's accounting practice, and then return to be home when her children came home from school. Helen was no small part of the growing business, and helped make it a rock in the community. In 1981, Howard passed away, and Helen moved to Sun Lakes to be near friends. There she met Pete Enge, a widower, and they married in secret in Henderson, Nevada. They spent 20 years together. Pete passed away in 2004. In 2005, Helen lost her eldest daughter, Lynne, to a tragic accident. Helen is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Pat and Tom Elliott; her grandchildren, Karla and Kurt Momberger, her brother Leslie McMahan and his family, and many friends. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Hospice of the Valley, the Arizona Humane Society, or any other no-kill animal shelter. |
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