Page 12 - The Wayne Dispatch

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- BRIEFS, Continued from page 4 Chum’s Donuts to close
Chum’s owner Larry “Chum”
Free ice cream cone day Stockwell died recently. His wife re-
JANET ELLEN HELPPIE Dairy Queen’s annual free cone ports that she will be closing the
long-time icon of the community
(November 9, 1927 – February 8, 2020) day will take place Thursday, March across from Wayne Memorial High
Janet Ellen (Colburn) Helppie 19, from 1:00-9:00 p.m. at the School at the end of March.
passed away quietly on February 8, Wayne Dairy Queen. Come get your
2020. She was a resident of Wayne, free small vanilla soft-serve cone. Wayne Percussion has
Michigan from 1953 until 1988, and The event is held in partnership with success at competition
prior to that lived in Norwayne for the Children’s Miracle Network. Wayne Memorial Percussion
several years. (WMP) began its 2020 competition
She was born in Orange, Texas, Make a fairy garden season at Troy Athens High School
on November 9, 1927, to Norman The Wayne Historical Society will on February 8.
and Alma (Ruble) Colburn. Her par- be hosting a Fairy Garden Workshop They scored 67.3 in the finals of
ents already had three children more on Saturday, April 4, at 1:00 p.m. All the Scholastic Concert A competition
than a decade older, and Janet’s supplies will be provided for this and fourth-highest finals score in all
birth was followed 19 months later make-and-take fairy garden. Reserve Class A divisions. WMP went on to
by her sister and best friend, Joan. your spot today for $20. win their second Scholastic Concert
Janet and Joan grew up in Gary, A-Class competition of the season
Indiana and Detroit, Michigan, doted U of M library presentation with their show “Legacies in Stone”
on by their parents, two older broth- Guest speaker Michelle McClel- on February 23 at the MCGC (Michi-
ers (Norman Jr. and John) and older lan, from the Bentley Historical Li- gan Color Guard Circuit) Competi-
sister (Mary). Janet graduated from Carrollton Senior Center, took up brary on the University of Michigan tion held at Troy Athens High School.
Cooley High School in Detroit, where bridge, and played Scrabble daily. Ann Arbor campus, will give a pres- The WMP is 4-time defending
she met the love of her life, Richard Janet continued to pursue her entation on the historic library and State Champions and have 2 consec-
Dean (“Dick”) Helppie. Dick worked love of dancing by taking tap and its unique collections and will show utive top-ten finishes at WGI (Winter
for Wayne Community Schools as an clogging lessons, and performing anything they might have about Guard International) World Compe-
attendance officer, teacher (Roosevelt around North Texas for many years Wayne. The event is hosted by the tition. The only home performance
Elementary), and swim coach at with the Skyliners Tap Troupe. Dick Wayne Historical Society and will be and the only free performance of
Wayne Memorial High School. served as her cheerful driver and en- at the Wayne Historical Museum on Wayne Memorial Percussion will be
Despite Dick’s first (of many) pro- thusiastic fan, his dance skills never Wednesday, April 8, at 7:00 p.m. March 28.
posals to Janet at age 17, she chose coming close to Janet’s -- despite a
instead to attend Olivet College, few attempts at learning.
where she studied modern dance. Throughout her life, Janet loved
But their love was strong and, at age attending live theater and dance per-
20, she dropped out of college to formances of every kind---including
marry Dick at the Mayflower Congre- on Broadway, at regional and com-
gational Church in Detroit on Sep- munity theaters, and even at the
tember 11, 1948. Still, Janet local schools (whether or not she
promised her father that she would knew any students in the shows!).
finish her degree; and so, at the age She passed on her dancing genes to
of 42 and just a semester before her her children (who all have a wonder-
oldest daughter graduated from col- ful sense of rhythm) and grandchil-
lege, Janet was proud to keep her dren (her youngest, Marin Rose,
promise during her father’s lifetime, continues to thank her “Dancing
earning a Bachelor of Arts in Social Grandma” in all of her professional
Studies from Eastern Michigan Uni- dancing bios).
versity. In addition to her husband, Janet
Dick and Janet’s love story pro- was preceded in death by her par-
duced 7 children, 30 grandchildren ents, her brothers, her sister Mary,
and 31 great-grandchildren (with 3 and her daughters Jane (Richard
more on the way). All 7 children Enos) and Martha (Mark Mason).
graduated from Wayne Memorial. She is survived by her children,
After more than 68 happy years of Joanne, Susan (Gary Shackelford),
marriage, Dick preceded Janet in Richard Jr. (Leslie), Sally (Michael
death on March 8, 2017. Stokes) and Mary (Tom Horstman),
Dick and Janet raised their fam- along with her sister Joan, 30 grand-
ily in Wayne, where they were active children, 31 great-grandchildren,
in the community, including the First and a large extended family and nu-
Congregational Church, Scouts, merous friends.
dance lessons, the PTA, and various The family is certain that, during
sports teams. They moved to the their three years apart, Dick has
Dallas area in 1988 and traveled ex- been working on his dance skills,
tensively around the United States and that he and Janet are now hap-
for many years. They joined the pily dancing together.
12 · March 2020 · The Wayne Dispatch