Helen G. Swaim

ATHENS - Helen G. Swaim of Athens passed away on January 8, 2018 at her home. She was born on May 6, 1921, in Madison Township, Vinton County, the fourth of nine children born to Norman B. and Rose Kennard Saylor. During WWII, she traveled by train to visit, Clifton E. “Key” Swaim who was stationed in California and they were married there on Jan. 21, 1943. They had two sons, John and Jeff.

Growing up she attended grade school in a one room school house. She graduated in 1937, at the age of sixteen, from high school at Zaleski, Ohio. Her employment throughout her life was diverse; Kroger, C.D. Shafer Co. and The Athens Messenger were among the many places she worked. For ten years she and her husband owned and operated a Grocery Store and gas pump at Mineral, Ohio. Upon returning to Athens, she worked for General Telephone Company and retired in 1982 after 25 years of service. After retirement, she began selling real estate, working first in Albany for Roberta Huffman Reality and then in 1987 she began working for Sole and Bloom Realtors in Athens where she remained until 2000.

In addition to her work, Helen spent decades of her life volunteering in her community. For 70 years she was an active member of The First Christian Church where she served the church in a variety of roles. For a time, she volunteered with the Salvation Army and The Red Cross; however her primary area of volunteering was with the hospital. She logged in over 10,000 hours of volunteer time during the past 23 years and was still volunteering three mornings a week at the age of 96. In November of 2017 she received the Red Cross Hometown Hero award in the Senior Adult category. She belonged to many clubs and organizations and was a good friend to many who affectionately called her Aunt Helen. She was blessed with faith, good health, a good family, and great friends for which she was very thankful.

Helen is survived by her son John, son and daughter in law, Jeff and Linda, a grandson Paul Swaim and his fiancé Mallory Simms, a granddaughter Sara Swaim and her fiancé Eduardo Olivares Barra. Also surviving is her sister Betty Enlow, a brother Duane Saylor and sisters in law Bula Saylor, Donna Dearth and Eileen Saylor, and many nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, he was preceded in death by her husband Key in 1964, an infant sister Rose Ella Saylor, sisters and brothers in law, Clarys and Blaine Hunter and Virgene and Maynard Thomas, a brother and sister in law Norman and Violet Saylor, brothers Dent and Dale Saylor, sister in law Emma Jean Saylor, and brother in law Lee Enlow.

Services will be Friday at 11:00 AM at Hughes Moquin Funeral Home, Athens with the Rev. Jeff Bartlett presiding. Burial will be at the New Marshfield Cemetery. Friends may call Thursday from 4 to 7 PM.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Ohio Health O’Bleness Memorial Hospital Guild, The Waterloo Community Senior Center in New Marshfield, or Ohio Health Visiting Nurses and Hospice. You may sign the online guestbook or leave a private message of sympathy for the family at www.hughesmoquinfuneralhome.com.