Elizabeth H. Richards

CLARKSVILLE – Elizabeth “Betty” Helbig Richards, 88, passed away at her Clarksville, NH, home on Tuesday evening, Oct. 27, 2015, with her husband at her side. A few of her last words were to Earl responding with “I love you, too.” Betty first met Earl while vacationing at her Uncle Earl Wright’s camp on Back Lake Road in Pittsburg. Her future husband was working at the Pittsburg Trading Post. A few days later they would meet up again on a train ride to Connecticut. Betty was born on Dec. 12, 1926, in Bridgeport, Conn., and raised in Stratford, Conn. Her parents were Carl August Helbig and Hilda Maude Church Helbig. They owned and operated Helbig’s Market located in the Paradise Green section of Stratford. While working at the store, Betty learned many valuable life skills, as well as an excellent work ethic. Later in life, that organization remained as she had her pantry alphabetized in sections. Betty was educated in the Stratford school system, graduating in the top 10 of her 1944 class of over 200 students. Later that fall she joined the U.S. Nursing Corps, attended the Bridgeport Hospital School of Nursing and graduated in 1947 as a Registered Nurse. Betty worked at the Bridgeport Hospital, the same hospital where she was born and educated. She went on to work at the Veteran’s Hospital in White River Junction, Vt., until her marriage to Earl on Aug. 29, 1948. Betty and Earl married at the Methodist Church in Lancaster, NH and lived in one of the first mobile homes in the North Country, having had it placed on a lot adjacent to the Mechanic Street covered bridge. They would move that home to Stratford, Conn., while Betty was pregnant with their first child. Betty then became a stay at home mom for the next 12 years as four more children joined the first. As the family grew, they moved their mobile home to a lot in Shelton, Conn., and slowly designed and built their own house. As the years passed, Betty went back to work at the Bridgeport Hospital as her husband established an insurance business. When it came time to hire additional help, Betty left her nursing career and joyfully moved on to office manager for the Earl Richards Insurance Agency. In 1967, the couple bought Earl’s childhood home (from his mother who had purchased it in 1937) on Cedar Stream Road in Clarksville, NH, which they remodeled and renovated, eventually adding to the house so it would be comfortable for their retirement years. Together they retired in 1994 and remained in their Shelton home until they relocated back to where their life together first started in northern New Hampshire. Betty’s life was a testament in survival as she fought the battle with breast cancer in 1990 and several years later a brain tumor. As the years progressed, pulmonary fibrosis hindered her breathing and she was quick to report that she never smoked. Gardening was important to Betty and Earl as he liked to garden and she liked to pull weeds. Their home in Clarksville shows beautifully throughout the seasons inside and out. A wonderful hostess, she loved to have family and friends come to the home. Her delicious meals will always be remembered with fondness. Another fond memory her friends and family have is how she remembered to send cards for birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions. She kept this up until her very last days with a birthday card for her son-in-law, David, which arrived just days before her passing. After their children left home to make homes of their own, the couple travelled extensively. They visited six continents and all fifty states. As their years advanced, Betty and Earl wintered in Palm Springs, CA, preferring to drive across country which they did many times. Betty’s faith was extremely important to her as she and Earl became born-again Christians together in 1950. They were actively involved in raising their family at the Stratford [CT] Baptist Church. While there, she taught her family how to cook and serve meals to a crowd, sing in the choir, and be a productive part of the Lord’s kingdom. When Clarksville became her home, she shared her talents with the Farnham Memorial Methodist Church. Betty’s entry into Heaven has been preceded with great-granddaughter, Lydia Eileen Thompson, in 2010; and both daughter, Carol Jane Richards Babey, and daughter-in-law, Dorothy “Dot” Jenner Richards, in August 2011. Remaining here in mortality along with her husband, Earl, of 67 plus years are their children and spouses, Carl James Richards and wife Cathy of Ansonia, CT; Ann and Audie Thompson of Shelton, CT; Lauren and Ron Chiplinsky of Derby, CT; and Linda and David Chappell of Clarksville, NH; and son-in-law Mike Babey of Stratford, CT. Nine grandchildren were born into the family over the years and they have continued Betty’s progeny with eleven great-grandchildren. Surviving Betty is her only sibling Mary Helbig Polo of South Carolina; her sister-in-law, Alice Richards Conover; three cousins, Jean, Ruth, and Mary Esther, and numerous nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at her home on Monday, Nov. 9, at 1 p.m., followed by an open house throughout the afternoon. For the benefit of family members, please avoid any fragrances, colognes, etc., while visiting as there are several family members that are highly allergic. Betty’s remains are buried in the Stewartstown Hollow Cemetery in a row of five generations of family members. Several years ago, she and Earl designed their own headstones into a unique pattern, one of a bench. Her hospitality will continue throughout the ages with her wish that while visiting in the cemetery, folks stop and sit a spell. Condolences may be offered to the family by going to www.jenkinsnewman.com. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Jenkins & Newman Funeral Home, Colebrook, NH.

Elizabeth H. Richards

December 12, 1926 - October 27, 2015