Helen Louise Green Adams, 85, peacefully went home to be with Dad on April 24, 2011, at the home of her daughter, Jeannette Pearley.  Helen was born January 26, 1926, in Alliance, Nebraska, to the late Joseph and Sophronia (Kenney) Green.  She was raised in Alliance, Nebraska, with her siblings, Ruby, Alton, William, Douglas, Lola, Ernest, and Dorothy, all of whom preceded her in death.

Helen met the love of her life and soul mate, Joseph William Adams, Sr., and the two were joined in Holy Matrimony on June 23, 1946.

Helen’s first employment outside of the home was domestic work, cleaning dormitories, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). Helen was as an outreach worker for the former Lincoln Action Program.  Through this program, Helen was encouraged to complete her education.  She began working on her degree in 1968.

In 1973, Helen took a job as Coordinator of Parent Involvement for Head Start and Follow Through in the Federal Programs Office of Lincoln Public Schools.  Her job status was changed to Consultant for Community Resources in 1977.  She completed her Bachelor of Science in Education degree and graduated with DISTINCTION from UNL in 1979.  In 1980 she began her job as an educator at Elliott School.  She continued teaching until her retirement in1999.

She was a lifetime member of the Parent Teacher Association and Harris Farley Ladies Auxiliary 131 Veterans of Foreign Wars.  She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, Nebraska State Education Association-Retired, Lincoln Education Association-Retired, and Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church. She was also a former Girl Scout Board member.  She was awarded the YWCA Tribute to Women Award in 1992 and the Community Action at Work Award in 2010.

Helen was preceded in death by both parents and all her siblings. She is survived by daughters and sons-in-law Barbara and Roosevelt Nix of Holland, Ohio; Jeannette Pearley of Lincoln; Lori and Ronald Banks of Centennial, Colorado; Dorothy “Mickey” Forrest of Denver, Colorado; Margaret and Hollis Booker of Aurora, Colorado; and Lovie and Norman Magruder of Las Vegas, Nevada; sons and daughters-in-law Joseph and Carol Adams and Roger Adams, both of Lincoln and Melvin and Linda Adams of Columbia, Missouri.  She has 19 grandchildren including Joanna Davis-Yoakum, Rochelle Nix, Rolonda Nix, Brian, Wayne, and Joe Alan Adams, Angela Wenz, Michael Adams, Diane Adams, Aaron Adams, Ashlee Forrest, Georee Forrest, Ronald “RJ” Banks, Kayla Banks, Tara Duncan, Rashad Booker, Heather Szabo, Holly Booker, and Michael Broadus.  She is also survived by 12 great-grandchildren, one sister-in-law, Mary Givehand of Nebraska City, and one brother-in-law, William Goodwin of Lincoln. 

Many nieces and nephews including Carolynn Goodwin, Barbara and Richard Miller, Delores Davis, Gracie Green, Carolyn Green, Louise Griffin, and Douglas Greene, as well as a host of other relatives and friends also survive her. The family respectfully request that any memorial gifts be directed to Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church and HoriSun Hospice.

The family would also like to thank Amber and the staff of Home Instead and HoriSun Hospice for all their support.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, May 1, 2011 from 1:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. at Wyuka Funeral Home.

The funeral service will be held on Monday, May 2, 2011 at 1:00 P.M. at Wyuka Funeral Home.