Helen Ruth Nemec
Helen Ruth Nemec
April 01, 1918 ‐ March 28, 2020
Helen Ruth Nemec (nee Kirschner), just days away from her 102nd birthday, fell asleep in Jesus at Brooks House in Hiram, Ohio where she had resided since 2015. Helen was born on April 1, 1918 in Amherst, Ohio to parents, Ben and Emma Kirschner. She was the oldest of five children. Helen was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Amherst. As a young child Helen loved to sit by the window on the stairway at her home and read. She knew from the first day of school that she wanted to become a teacher. Her first jobs were in bookkeeping and office work. She met and married Charles Nemec in 1944. They were married for 22 years and raised two children. Family responsibilities delayed but didn't stop Helen from becoming a teacher. She graduated from Kent State University with a degree in Education and taught 5th and 6th grade at Dover Elementary in Westlake for 19 years. Helen shared her love for learning with her grandchildren and great grandchildren, reading to them and taking them to places like the Art and Natural History Museum in Cleveland and Lake Erie Junior Museum in Bay Village. From 1952 to the time she went to the Brooks House, Helen was a member of St. Thomas Lutheran Church in Rocky River where she taught Sunday School and served in other ways. In addition to going to church, reading and spending time with family, Helen appreciated art and music and enjoyed taking walks, visiting gardens and other places with her granddaughter Sarah and traveling. She went to Europe with Charles in 1963, what she had written down as a "Fulfilled old dream of going to Europe"
Helen is survived by a daughter Patricia Sutter and her husband Michael of Newbury, Ohio; a son Donald and his wife Carol of Drummond Island, Michigan; step-son Chuck Nemec and his wife June of Strongsville, Ohio; daughter-in-law Barb Nemec of Hendersonville, North Carolina; 11 grandchildren 24 great grandchildren and 7 great great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Helen was preceded in death by her husband Charles in 1966; Step-sons Tom and Jack Nemec; her parents; brother Herman Kirschner and sisters Hilda Schramm, Eda Freeland, and Evelyn Kreeger.
Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Park in North Olmsted, Ohio. A memorial service will be held at a later date. We give thanks to God our Father, through Jesus Christ, our Lord for our loved one Helen.
The family suggests memorial contributions be made to Wind River Lutheran Mission at Fort Washakie Wyoming. This is a mission on the Wind River Indian Reservation that Helen had visited and supported for many years. Contributions designated for WRLM can be sent to Lutheran Ministries Center 2400 Hickory St. Casper, WY 82604
Guest Comments
Alex Sutter
Lawrenceville GA
Great Grandma Nemec, I love you. We all miss you. I wish we lived closer and had been able to spend more time together. God bless you. Alex.
Matthew Sutter
Lawrenceville GA
Grandma, we love and miss you. I am simply going to say a few things I remember.
I remember
.........going to your house to spend the holidays with the family, going down the basement to play.
........riding with you in your Buick Regal from Bay Village to Big Rapids MI to visit Uncle Donnie and everyone in the summers.
.......you going on your cruises and playing cards with the people from your church.
......playing Trivial Pursuit with you and the family. You had a habit of answering not only your questions but other team's questions as well.
.......it seemed to me that your one of your favorite says was " Oh my ". I can hear it now. Whether it was opening a card, looking at a picture of one of the kids, grand kids or great grand kids, lots of things. I can also hear my mom and Uncle Donnie say to you, " hey Mom..... " whenever explaining something to you.
Rest in peace. You are missed and we love you. See you in a while.
Love Matt.
Brian & Jane Budnick`
Medina, OH
May the Lord comfort the family of this exceptional person that brought us together over 49 years ago. We are most grateful for all she did for her church and family. God's Blessings.
Mark Hatfield
Big Rapids, MI
The Hatfield family is so sorry for your loss.
I will never forget the canoe trip we took down the Muskegon river. I had a wonderful time. If there is anything we can do, please let us know.
Sincerely, Mark and Carla Hatfield
Tom & Bethany, Olivia, Max, Anna & McKenna Sutter
May Grandma Nemec Rest In Peace. She was always an amazing grandma and great grandma to our family. We will always remember her as a kind, selfless, and strong woman. She is an inspiration to us all. We have fond memories of her that we will always keep in a special special place in our hearts. Her quick witty replies truly showed her intelligence.
Jacob and Stephanie Sutter
Chardon Ohio
Grandma Nemec was a person who didn't just talk the talk, but someone who walked the walk - and she did it with amazing style and grace. We love how she continued to deliver Meals on Wheels until she could no longer drive. We all should aspire to be more like her, and think about helping those in need the way she did. We will miss her gentle spirit, and whenever we teach our kids about love being an action, she will be the example.
Natasha Sutter
Chardon Ohio
When I was around her I felt like I couldn't stop smiling. I will miss her very much and when ever I see yellow flowers they remind me of her.
Walt and Cindy Lutzke
Big Rapids MI
Our prayers are with you as you remember your Mother and Grandmother. What a blessing she was to all of you.
Charles Nemec
Fort Wayne, IN
My great grandmother was a joy to be around. My family and I have a lot of fun-filled memories we made with her. My siblings and I miss our beloved great grandmother dearly, but we rejoice in the hope we have in Christ Jesus who conquered death by His death on the cross and resurrection from the empty tomb that one day we too will be with that host arrayed in white worshiping the Lamb who was slain.
Cullen & Jackie Duke
Whitney, TX
Keeping the Nemec family in our prayers as you mourn the passing of Helen. We rejoice with her and her family in her entrance into the Church Triumphant and the sure promise of a reunion with her at the resurrection. God’s blessings and peace be with you all.
Michael Nemec
Hillsboro, Texas
We will miss our amazing grandmother who, even with all of the years that she was given in this life, shared with us more than a lifetime's worth of love, hospitality, fun and educational experiences, and so much more. But we rejoice in knowing that she is forever in the presence of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And, through faith in Christ, we look forward to being with her again someday and forever.
Aaron Nemec
Petoskey, MI
Grandma Nemec was a model for selflessness and appreciating the simple pleasures like breakfast and family. She taught me to love art and museums, beauty and knowledge. She was deceptively funny in her life of practicality, while always making observations. She was so fun to joke around with and always had great stories to tell from her life. I wish i could remember all of them. I will remember her “oh my”, the way she underlined and took notes in everything she read, and helping her wash and dry dishes soon as the meal was finished. I can’t drink ginger ale without thinking of her. She was proud of Cleveland, her church, and mostly her family. She made us feel loved and important. I wish we could visit her one last time.