|
| |
Mary Helen True passed away on Sunday, February 3rd, in Highlands Ranch, CO, with family by her side. A memorial service will be held in her honor date pending.
She was born Mary Helen Sisson, on December 24, 1936, in Waterloo, Iowa, to Dr. Harold and Helen (Boedeker) Sisson. In early childhood, Mary Helen discovered a love of music and a natural talent for playing the piano. She graduated from St. Mary's Catholic High School with top honors and was an accomplished organist for the Catholic church. Mary Helen furthered her studies in music at Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa) where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in 1959.
Mary Helen married Stephen F. True, a U.S Air Force pilot, on June 20, 1959. After several years stationed abroad, the couple and their four children moved to Vance Air Force Base in 1966.
In 1975, she earned a Master in Education from Philips University where she taught music appreciation and theory. With the help of others at the university, Mary Helen was instrumental in re-establishing the Enid-Phillips Symphony Orchestra (EPSO). She was a featured performer with the symphony in 1988 and again in 1999.
Mary Helen served as a chaplain at St. Mary's Hospital from 1991-1993. In 2002, the Trues retired to Roxborough Park, CO.
For more than two decades, Mary Helen volunteered as a judge for the Enid Tri-State Music Festival. Over many years, Mary Helen also shared her time and musical talents by regularly performing short programs for all the residents of Greenbrier Village.
In addition to being an accomplished pianist, Mary Helen won awards for her sewing skills. She enjoyed French hand-sewing, needlepoint, quilting and restoring antiques dolls. Mary Helen traveled the world over and spoke both German and Russian. She and her husband hiked the Swiss Alps and were members of the Roxborough Hiking Club in Colorado.
Mary Helen was a member of P.E.O., Chapter DO, in Enid, Oklahoma, and later joined Chapter E in Denver, CO. She was a certified member of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and was a registered member of The Iowa Society of Mayflower Descendants.
Mrs. True was preceded in death by her parents and her son, Rev. Father David H. True. She is survived by her husband, Stephen True of Highlands Ranch, CO, and her three daughters; Kathryn Allen and husband, Rick Allen, Denver, CO; Beth True of Littleton, CO; Deborah Cromwell and husband, Justin Cromwell, of Enid, OK. She has five grandsons: Jeremy True, Hahira, GA; William Allen, Chicago, IL; Jordan Cromwell, Wichita, KS; Louis Allen, Boulder, CO; Stephen Cromwell, Norman, OK. Mary is also survived by two sisters and one brother.
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages memorials be made in her name to the Alzheimer's Foundation or the Enid Symphony Orchestra.
This site may be freely linked, but not duplicated in any way without consent.
All rights reserved! Commercial use of material within this site is prohibited!
© 2000-2024 Oklahoma CemeteriesThe information on this site is provided free for the purpose of researching your genealogy. This material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, for your own research, as long as this message remains on all copied material. The information contained in this site may not be copied to any other site without written "snail-mail" permission. If you wish to have a copy of a donor's material, you must have their permission. All information found on these pages is under copyright of Oklahoma Cemeteries. This is to protect any and all information donated. The original submitter or source of the information will retain their copyright. Unless otherwise stated, any donated material is given to Oklahoma Cemeteries to make it available online. This material will always be available at no cost, it will always remain free to the researcher.