Helen Carolyn Settles Stephens brief biography and photos
Helen Carolyn Settles Stephens
Helen Carolyn Settles was born on September 13, 1894, in St. Louis, Missouri, the oldest of five girls. Rose Margaret Settles (6.14.1898-4.1.1956), Frances Odelia Settles (8.16.1899-?), and Agnes Veronica Settles (1.21.1905-?) followed over the eleven years. Her father Emmet Bennet or Vincent Settles (?20.1871-11.24.1924) married Odellia Traoo on October 4, 1893 (11.29-1843-5.14.1895), and Helen was born a year later.
Helen married Frank Monroe Stephens (7.26-1886-10-21-1946) on January 16, 1915, in a Catholic church when she twenty and he was twenty-nine. She was the eldest child in her family, and he was the youngest child in his. They moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where Helen, Catherine, Bob, and Mary were born. Frank was born in Prescott, Arizona, lived on a cattle ranch, and moved to Los Angeles with his parents. The first in his family to attend college, he went to University of Berkeley and majored in electrical engineering. Frank declined a job offer at a brokerage firm from his close friend, Dean Witter, because he felt Dean would always be the boss, and Frank wanted more independence. When he didn’t get offered a job during college interviews, Frank went to the telephone company, and talked his way into a job. The family had two dogs: Tiger who was a mean Irish Terrier and Tommy, who was a sweet German Shepherd they had to get rid of because he killed the neighbor’s chickens. Frank came home with his first car, a model T, which he had paid $500 for. It took Helen quite a long time before she was brave enough to drive it. They lost a child when they lived in St. Louis. In St. Louis they had open streetcars, which the kids took to ride to school. Helen remembered her grandfather as being a nice-looking black-haired man. He suffered from tuberculosis, so he traveled west to get help with his TB but shortly after returned to Missouri where he died. After he died, Grandmother Settles (Mocca) visited her daughter’s family in St. Louis, Missouri. The family went on a train trip to visit their Dad’s mother in California, probably Los Angeles.
Around 1923, they moved to Cleveland. They stayed in a hotel until they moved into a rental house on Kensington. Then they bought a house on Hyde Park, where they roller skated down the hill. Frank always sent Helen roses on their children’s birthdays. He also took Helen out to dinner once a week, so they could have some private time away from the children. He hired live-in help to assist Helen with the house and children. Their daughter Helen remembers her parents as being loving and very thoughtful of each other. She felt her father was the dominant figure. Helen was a homebody and didn’t enjoy activities outside the house. At one point in the middle of the night, robbers came in and stole Frank’s wallet with $300 cash in it. They also took a wrapped up prize Helen had won for playing bridge.
They moved to Columbus, Ohio, during the depression and bought a home on Iueka Avenue close to the university. Young Helen went to Indian Knowell and then North High School and where the children attended Catholic Schools and were taught by nuns. Helen remembered friends losing jobs and people jumping out of windows. They ate dinner as a family and always had room for friends of their children to join them. Frank worked for the Telephone Company. Helen and Catherine went to Ohio State. Helen remembered her mother as being very loving and supportive. During these years Catherine (Sis) had serious mental breakdowns, which were traumatizing for her, her parents and siblings. Her siblings loved her very much.
During World War II, when they had returned to Shaker Heights, Ohio, they lived on Chesterton Road, Mary, Dibbie, and Susan went to Hathaway Brown School. During a strike at the telephone company, Frank slept with a gun under his pillow. Frank was chairman of the Red Cross drive, and he was on the war labor board in Washington DC during WW II. The children visited him and saw all the monuments. The older children were married or away at college. Frank enjoyed working on his Victory Garden. They were close friends to the Ides and enjoyed playing bridge. Helen loved music and was an accomplished pianist. She enjoyed knitting.
Frank bought a large house in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, without consulting Helen. They did a great deal of entertaining. He got into a club where they played Hearts. Helen felt her father was very happy there and at the peak of his career. When he was diagnosed with lung cancer and knew he had a short time to live, he spent his time organizing their financial affairs to make it easier for Helen. At that time only Susan and Dibbie were living with them as the rest of the children were married.
Helen moved back to Ohio, and lived in an apartment on Kemper Road in Shaker Hts. At one point, a young man boarded with her to defray expenses. She visited her children and grandchildren scattered across the country. She joined a weaving group, purchased a large loom, and wove many tablemats and runners and bags. She enjoyed knitting and needle pointing. She became quite adept at investing in the stock market and was an avid Cleveland Indians Fan. It was only great fun for the grandchildren to spend the night with her, go to Higbees, buy a doll outfit, drink from a special glass mug, and play card games with her. She told us to wake her if she snored. She often came out to Arrow Cottage, and not liking to be in direct sun, sat under an apple tree on a slope above the pool. She loved gardening. She enjoyed drinking scotch, only having one drink at cocktail hour, which she replenished with floats.
In 1963, all her children, their spouses, and the 21 grandchildren gathered for a family reunion for her 70th birthday. I remember buying her a rubber miniature animal each year for her birthday. She loved to make Angel Food Cake.
When she became ill, she lived with Helen and Moray Booth for a few years in Louisville, Kentucky, and when she returned to Ohio, moved to Hamlet Hills in Chagrin Falls, where she could live independently and had her own garden. She suffered from Chromes Disease. Later, she moved to their assistant living section.
When she died in early 1977, her funeral was in Hannibal, Missouri with a Catholic Mass. The family visited her own childhood home, which was now a boarding house, and the Catholic Church she attended as a child, which was now a bowling alley.
Granny Stephens was greatly missed. All of her children, their spouses, and the grandchildren loved her dearly. She showered us with love and kindness. She was soft-spoken, supportive, and thoughtful.
Helen Carolyn Settles was born on September 13, 1894, in St. Louis, Missouri, the oldest of five girls. Rose Margaret Settles (6.14.1898-4.1.1956), Frances Odelia Settles (8.16.1899-?), and Agnes Veronica Settles (1.21.1905-?) followed over the eleven years. Her father Emmet Bennet or Vincent Settles (?20.1871-11.24.1924) married Odellia Traoo on October 4, 1893 (11.29-1843-5.14.1895), and Helen was born a year later.
Helen married Frank Monroe Stephens (7.26-1886-10-21-1946) on January 16, 1915, in a Catholic church when she twenty and he was twenty-nine. She was the eldest child in her family, and he was the youngest child in his. They moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where Helen, Catherine, Bob, and Mary were born. Frank was born in Prescott, Arizona, lived on a cattle ranch, and moved to Los Angeles with his parents. The first in his family to attend college, he went to University of Berkeley and majored in electrical engineering. Frank declined a job offer at a brokerage firm from his close friend, Dean Witter, because he felt Dean would always be the boss, and Frank wanted more independence. When he didn’t get offered a job during college interviews, Frank went to the telephone company, and talked his way into a job. The family had two dogs: Tiger who was a mean Irish Terrier and Tommy, who was a sweet German Shepherd they had to get rid of because he killed the neighbor’s chickens. Frank came home with his first car, a model T, which he had paid $500 for. It took Helen quite a long time before she was brave enough to drive it. They lost a child when they lived in St. Louis. In St. Louis they had open streetcars, which the kids took to ride to school. Helen remembered her grandfather as being a nice-looking black-haired man. He suffered from tuberculosis, so he traveled west to get help with his TB but shortly after returned to Missouri where he died. After he died, Grandmother Settles (Mocca) visited her daughter’s family in St. Louis, Missouri. The family went on a train trip to visit their Dad’s mother in California, probably Los Angeles.
Around 1923, they moved to Cleveland. They stayed in a hotel until they moved into a rental house on Kensington. Then they bought a house on Hyde Park, where they roller skated down the hill. Frank always sent Helen roses on their children’s birthdays. He also took Helen out to dinner once a week, so they could have some private time away from the children. He hired live-in help to assist Helen with the house and children. Their daughter Helen remembers her parents as being loving and very thoughtful of each other. She felt her father was the dominant figure. Helen was a homebody and didn’t enjoy activities outside the house. At one point in the middle of the night, robbers came in and stole Frank’s wallet with $300 cash in it. They also took a wrapped up prize Helen had won for playing bridge.
They moved to Columbus, Ohio, during the depression and bought a home on Iueka Avenue close to the university. Young Helen went to Indian Knowell and then North High School and where the children attended Catholic Schools and were taught by nuns. Helen remembered friends losing jobs and people jumping out of windows. They ate dinner as a family and always had room for friends of their children to join them. Frank worked for the Telephone Company. Helen and Catherine went to Ohio State. Helen remembered her mother as being very loving and supportive. During these years Catherine (Sis) had serious mental breakdowns, which were traumatizing for her, her parents and siblings. Her siblings loved her very much.
During World War II, when they had returned to Shaker Heights, Ohio, they lived on Chesterton Road, Mary, Dibbie, and Susan went to Hathaway Brown School. During a strike at the telephone company, Frank slept with a gun under his pillow. Frank was chairman of the Red Cross drive, and he was on the war labor board in Washington DC during WW II. The children visited him and saw all the monuments. The older children were married or away at college. Frank enjoyed working on his Victory Garden. They were close friends to the Ides and enjoyed playing bridge. Helen loved music and was an accomplished pianist. She enjoyed knitting.
Frank bought a large house in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, without consulting Helen. They did a great deal of entertaining. He got into a club where they played Hearts. Helen felt her father was very happy there and at the peak of his career. When he was diagnosed with lung cancer and knew he had a short time to live, he spent his time organizing their financial affairs to make it easier for Helen. At that time only Susan and Dibbie were living with them as the rest of the children were married.
Helen moved back to Ohio, and lived in an apartment on Kemper Road in Shaker Hts. At one point, a young man boarded with her to defray expenses. She visited her children and grandchildren scattered across the country. She joined a weaving group, purchased a large loom, and wove many tablemats and runners and bags. She enjoyed knitting and needle pointing. She became quite adept at investing in the stock market and was an avid Cleveland Indians Fan. It was only great fun for the grandchildren to spend the night with her, go to Higbees, buy a doll outfit, drink from a special glass mug, and play card games with her. She told us to wake her if she snored. She often came out to Arrow Cottage, and not liking to be in direct sun, sat under an apple tree on a slope above the pool. She loved gardening. She enjoyed drinking scotch, only having one drink at cocktail hour, which she replenished with floats.
In 1963, all her children, their spouses, and the 21 grandchildren gathered for a family reunion for her 70th birthday. I remember buying her a rubber miniature animal each year for her birthday. She loved to make Angel Food Cake.
When she became ill, she lived with Helen and Moray Booth for a few years in Louisville, Kentucky, and when she returned to Ohio, moved to Hamlet Hills in Chagrin Falls, where she could live independently and had her own garden. She suffered from Chromes Disease. Later, she moved to their assistant living section.
When she died in early 1977, her funeral was in Hannibal, Missouri with a Catholic Mass. The family visited her own childhood home, which was now a boarding house, and the Catholic Church she attended as a child, which was now a bowling alley.
Granny Stephens was greatly missed. All of her children, their spouses, and the grandchildren loved her dearly. She showered us with love and kindness. She was soft-spoken, supportive, and thoughtful.