Helen Marie Jerko, 98

Helen Marie Jerko passed away on Saturday, March 11, 2023, at Penn Highlands Jefferson Manor in Brookville.

Helen was born on Aug. 22, 1924, in Cleveland, Ohio. She was the daughter of Martin and Anna Kendra.

She was married on Aug. 17, 1946, to Delmas John Jerko, of Punxsutawney, who passed away on Sept. 21, 1993. She was a member of Saints Cosmas and Damian Catholic Church, Punxsutawney.

Helen’s working career began during World War II at the Air Maze Company in Cleveland, Ohio, taking care of shipping orders and making air filters. After her marriage, she was a homemaker and found fulfillment volunteering as a Helping Hand at the Punxsutawney Hospital for many years. In her younger days, she belonged to the Altar Rosary Society at Saints Cosmos and Damian Church. Helen took pride in keeping her home spotless. She was very meticulous about her dress and appearance. She enjoyed going for walks around the neighborhood two times a day and listening to polka music and songs sung by Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. She also found pleasure watching and feeding the birds in her yard, as well as growing flowers on her back porch and in her garden.

Helen is survived by three daughters, Elaine Gearhart and husband Roland of Punxsutawney, Janice Meehan and husband Richard of Punxsutawney, and Colleen Means of Valier; two sons, Thomas Jerko and wife Katie of Indiana, and Dennis Jerko of Punxsutawney; two grandsons, Christopher Meehan and Michael Jerko; two great-grandchildren, Sean and Abby Meehan of Shippensburg; one sister, Irene Martino of Punxsutawney; three nieces, Kathleen Martino and Judy Martino of Punxsutawney and Florence Zicca of Greenwich, Connecticut; and two nephews, Jerry Martino of Mt. Pleasant and Gregory Pape of Punxsutawney.

Helen was preceded in death by her parents, who had immigrated to the United States from Czechoslovakia in their teenage years; her husband of 47 years, Delmas; three brothers; Martin, Albert and Carl Kendra; three sisters, Cecelia Neff, Margaret Denull and Martha Pape; two infant sisters; and two nephews, Eugene Pape and Robert Martino.

Friends will be received on Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m. at the McCabe Funeral Home, Inc., 114 Maple Ave., Punxsutawney. A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Saints Cosmas and Damian Catholic Church in Punxsutawney, with Msgr. Riccardo as celebrant.

To share a memory, visit www.mccabewaldronfh.com.