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Connie Irene (Walter) Helvie, daughter of Alva Dewey Walter and Gladys Lucinda (Pond) Walter, was born Nov. 6, 1944, in Villisca. She left this world to go to her eternal home March 13, 2026, at the age of 81 years, four months and seven days. She had been residing at Good Samaritan Society in Villisca for the past three months.
Connie was the youngest child in her family of eight. She had two older brothers and three older sisters. She was raised on the family farm northeast of Nodaway. She loved living on the farm. The animals were her favorite part of farm life. She could always be found outside playing with the dogs, Dusty and Cookie; the kittens and a pony named Pat.
She attended school in Nodaway through her freshman year, then went to Corning High School, graduating with the class of 1962.
On May 17th, 1964, she married the love of her life, Terry Helvie. To this union, two children were born: Sherry Lynn on Feb. 11, 1965, and Lenny Lee on Nov. 3, 1968.
Connie worked a short time at NFO before she was married. After her kids were born, she was a stay-at-home mom until 1978, when she took a job at The Branding Iron as a sales clerk. In 1983, she became a sales clerk at Turner’s Department Store. She worked there until 1995 at which time she was employed at the courthouse in the treasurer’s office. She worked there until 2002. At that time, her health was telling her it was time to retire.
Terry and Connie loved to go fishing together. That was a favorite pastime for both. They also enjoyed trips to Kansas and Nebraska to visit Lenny while he lived there.
Connie loved her dogs even more so as an adult. She and Terry were dog mom and dog dad to three dachshunds: Misty, Dolly and Molly.
She enjoyed tending to her home and flowerbeds. She loved doing yardwork. She was drawn to nature, especially flowers, birds and butterflies. She loved going to yard sales and thrift stores. Connie had a knack for finding just the perfect item to decorate with. Her home and yard were always kept immaculate and looked like a page from a magazine.
Connie’s biggest accomplishment was being a mom and a grandma. Her three grandchildren meant the world to her. She was so proud of them and embraced getting to spend a lot of time with them. Once they arrived, they were the center of her world.
Connie was preceded in death by her husband Terry in October 2025; parents, Alva (1962) and Gladys (1995); sisters, Mary Rowe (2013) and Darlene Brees (2020); brothers, Harold Walter (2017) and Glen Walter (2022); nephew Steve Walter (1975) and great-nephew Jesse Vetter (2023). Several brothers- and sisters-in-law on the Walter side and the Helvie side preceded her in death.
Left to cherish her memories are daughter Sherry (Nick) Keefe of Corning; son Lenny Helvie, also of Corning; sister and brother-in-law, Carolyn and Merlin Dixon of Corning; three grandchildren: Darien (Brandon) Robison of Corning, Chloe (David) Thompson of Creston and Roman Keefe of Ankeny; two great-granddaughters, Ellie Thompson and Ivy Thompson; many nieces and nephews, great - and great-great-nieces and -nephews.
Funeral Services will be 10:30 a.m., Saturday, March 21, at Pearson Family Funeral Service & Cremation Center in Corning, with Chaplain Sandra Bilokonsky officiating. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery, Corning. Open visitation will be 3–7 p.m., with family receiving friends 5–7 p.m., Friday, March 20, at the funeral home.
Memorials may be directed to the Butterfly Garden & Pollinator Path at Lake Icaria; MATURA or Dog Gone Rescue in Creston. Memories and condolences may be left online at www.pearsonfuneralhomes.com.