Helen Clarice (Collmorgen) Mccarty

Funeral services for Helen Clarice McCarty of Redland will be held Monday, November 7, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. in the Carroway Funeral Home Chapel with Brother Ron Fant and Charles Yates officiating. Interment will follow in the Walker Cemetery. A reception will be held in the Carroway Family Reception Room immediately following graveside services.

Helen Clarice Collmorgen McCarty was born on May 4, 1930 to Julius Arnold Collmorgen and Annie (Askins) Collmorgen. She passed away on November 3, 2022 at the age of 92.

Helen is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, Frank and Deniece McCarty of Lufkin and Jim and Shasta McCarty of Huntington; grandchildren, Sara White and husband Quentin of Lufkin, Cali Hollers and husband Brian of Lufkin, and Darian Womack of Nacogdoches; great-grandchildren, Landry White, Everli Hollers, and Easton Womack; sister-in-law, Dorris Collmorgen; and numerous other relatives.

Helen was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 72 years, John A. McCarty; sister and brother-in-law, Jane and Walter Yates; and brothers and sister-in-law, Bill and Nan Collmorgen, and Richard A. “Dick” Collmorgen.

After graduating from Lufkin High School in 1947, Helen attended Pineywoods Business School before going to work at Temple Lumber Company and then Lufkin Foundry and Machine for five years. She started her career at Southland Papermill in August of 1960 and remained there through two mergers before retiring in 1986. Helen loved her “work family” and made many lifelong friends during her years at the papermill.

Helen was a lifelong member of Redland Baptist Church where she and her sister Jane sang in the choir. During the years of attending church services and church functions, she developed friendships that carried on throughout her life. The names of these special friends, both living and deceased, are too many to list.

In addition to her involvement in her church, Helen enjoyed gardening, sewing and traveling. She spent many hours “working” in her flower beds and was always rewarded with beautiful flowers in the spring and summer. She was a very talented seamstress and made many of her own clothes. It was not unusual  for her to have a Butterick dress pattern spread across the dining room table on Saturdays. As she got older, Helen developed a love for travel and went on numerous “adventures” with the local Hometown Travelers. She loved those trips and chronicled each one through photos and journals she kept. Each photo would always have the names of everyone pictured on the back, as well as other pertinent info. Like so many of the women of her generation, Helen was an excellent cook. Never afraid to experiment, she often tried out new casseroles and dishes on the family. Most were delicious, but she would readily agree if one didn’t “make the cut”.

Helen McCarty was a Christian woman who loved the Lord, her family and her friends unconditionally. She grew up in a very hard working and close knit family and never wavered from the lessons she learned as a child. There are no words to express how much she will be missed by the loved ones she leaves behind.

Pallbearers will be Charles Yates, John Yates, Richard Collmorgen, David Collmorgen, Joe Collmorgen, and Terry Tullos.

Honorary pallbearers will be Dennis Hughes, James “Buddy” Hughes, Jacob Carter, and Clayton Collmorgen.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice in the Pines, 1504 W. Frank Avenue, Lufkin, Texas 75904.

The family would like to express a special thanks to Hospice in the Pines and to the nurses in the Alzheimer’s unit at Southland Rehabilitation and Health Care Center.

The family will welcome friends and loved ones from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Sunday evening at the funeral home.

Memories and condolences may be added, and live webcasting of the services may be viewed, at www.carrowayfuneralhome.com.

Carroway Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.