Helen L. Hibbs

Helen Louise (Taylor) Hibbs, 83, passed away on Monday, May 23, 2022, at her home. She was born on October 11, 1938, in Robinson, Crawford County, IL, the daughter of Dr. John R. Taylor and Freeda Irene (Cline) Taylor, both of whom preceded her in death. She went home surrounded by family after a 20-month battle with cancer.

Helen was raised in the small town of Palestine, IL, and upon graduation from Palestine High School in 1956, she first attended Millikin University, Decatur, IL, where she was being groomed to be a professional musician for piano; it was not to her liking. She joined Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. After one year, she changed to Indiana State Teacher College in Terre Haute, IN, for a better preparation to teach elementary-junior high music and completed her music degree in 1960. She earned her master’s degree and achieved many extra hours of post graduate work. Her first teaching job was for one year at the lab school at Indiana State. In 1962, she moved to South Bend to teach vocal music and drama for the South Bend Community School Corporation at Lincoln Elementary and Clay Middle Schools. Her passion was teaching junior high students that many find a real challenge but was her most favorite. She retired from Clay Middle in 2001. Early in her career, she taught music methods for elementary teachers for a few years at St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame. In addition, she was a Teaching Associate in Education at Indiana University – South Bend for over forty years. She retired from IUSB in 2010. In the early 1970’s she joined and was a member of the Junior League of South Bend.

Helen was always participating in musical groups. She played flute in marching band while in grade and high school and also accompanied the choir on piano. At the Presbyterian Church Helen and her sisters shared the job of playing for Sunday school as well as singing in the choir from elementary through high school. In high school she organized a small dance band that played in the community. She practiced with them nearly every weekend for fun even when they had no gig; they were her best friends. In South Bend, she branched out into local theater groups. For 25 years she played piano and transposed music for “The Company”, a cabaret group organized by Melanie Como. They performed for years at Carnival for the Arts and brought to life many Broadway musicals at Battell Center in Mishawaka. Helen often played for the Christmas parties at Charlie Finley’s farm in LaPorte and at the home of Jordan Kapson (Mr. Jordan Ford). These were wonderful big parties with celebrities. Helen often contributed to students’ music contest performances for ISSMA by accompanying or coaching singers or instrumental players. Inevitably the contest occurred on a day of a big snow storm and wretched travel conditions in February each year; however, she only turned back once due to a blizzard.

At Christmas Helen liked to make MANY kinds of cookies, and she gave them away far and wide. Family dinners were always accompanied with hot rolls that she made along with cinnamon rolls for each sister’s families. In her early years in South Bend Helen made most of her own clothing and in 2015, she took quilting classes at Stitch in Time to carry on the 150-year tradition of quilting in the Taylor-Kitchell family. Of course, most things had to have a rabbit sewed on or in the fabric since Helen was a prolific collector with probably 800 to 1000 rabbits in her house (the stuffed toy kind or little china bunnies).

Helen loved to travel and growing up her family went to Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Bryce, and Zion National Parks, the Canadian Rockies and Vancouver, California and Tijuana. Later she often went with her sisters and brother-in-law in her years of retirement. They went via Amtrak to San Francisco, Las Vegas, and New Orleans reminiscing about the days of childhood when they could ride the train for free since Dr. Taylor worked for the Illinois Central Railroad. In 2017 Helen and her sister Mary took the Downton Abby tour around England to London with Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abby, St. Paul’s Cathedral; Bath and the Roman Baths; the Cotswolds with high tea; many of the places where Downton Abbey TV series was filmed; and a day trip to Paris, France with a dinner tour by boat on the River Seine complete with a violinist circulating around the tables and with lots of French wine. She has said this trip was a major highlight of her life.

Starting in 2001 Helen shared playing keyboards with Joe Somers and directed the choir at Holy Family Church on Mayflower Road. She joined the church in 2004. Helen was known as “the funeral lady” since she provided music for most funerals at Holy Family and was on call for St. John’s parish. Up to the last weeks of her life she was still sending plans for all of the music for choir practice and Sunday Mass at Holy Family. We are sure Helen will be with the heavenly choir directing in eternity.

Surviving are two sisters, Mary Short and Barbara (husband Tom) Golba, all of South Bend. Helen was very involved with family and the extended family of Barbara’s three children: niece Amy (husband Michael) Haun with children Meisha, Madison, and Brady in Carey, IL; nephew Gabriel (wife Jessica) Golba with children Jacob, Andrew, and Allison in Newburgh, IN; niece Abigail (husband Dr. Christopher) Zielinski with children Aleksey, Marko, and Kora in Niles, MI. Helen was godmother of Brady Haun.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated for Helen at 11:30 am on Monday, June 6, 2022, at Holy Family Catholic Church with a two-hour visitation prior to the Mass in the Msgr. Galic Room. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery.

The family would like to extend thanks for caregivers from Hospice-Mishawaka and Home Instead who provided around the clock care in her final weeks. Thanks to Dr. Onujiogu, oncologist, and dear Anna Whitaker, NP, who provided the best of care physically and emotionally with encouragement in the long journey through months of chemo. Helen truly appreciated the many cards and emails supplying love, encouragement, and prayers of support received during the long Covid pandemic that isolated us all.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Palestine Academic Foundation, P.O. Box 217, Palestine, IL 62451; Home Instead, 3025 Grape Road, Mishawaka, IN 46545; and your local Salvation Army.

Posted online on May 26, 2022

Published in South Bend Tribune

05/27/2022 EJS