Obituary for Helen Christine Rose Jennings
Helen Christine Rose Jennings, 74, of Garland, passed away on June 27 2021. She was surrounded in love by her family.
Helen was born on January 4, 1947 to Geneva Farley Bumpus and Lawrence Bumpus in Amarillo. She was the middle sister to Judy Urvan and Beverly Holloway. Headstrong and always determined, Helen fell in love, dropped out of school and married young. She later returned to school to earn her GED and then proudly made her way through nursing school and became a LVN. She was rightfully proud of her accomplishment and was a wonderfully caring nurse.
Helen was blessed with two children. David Beveridge arrived first in 1966. With David she shared a love of cooking and together they spent countless hours in the kitchen learning and sharing recipes. Her second child, Ileana, arrived in 1970. With Ileana she shared her love of music and travel, especially the mountains of New Mexico. Ileana went on many different adventures with her mother and learned to see the world through a different set of eyes. In a way only Helen could, she loved her family immensely. Her grandchildren, Mariah Neusch and Liberty Jennings brought her great joy as well as all of her nieces, aunts, uncles, and cousins. She would spend hours talking about genealogy and loved to share the backstories of her predecessors. Beyond her family, Helen was also a mother to many others as she took in and sheltered many wayward teens in the 70s and 80s. When so many were struggling, she would always share what she had when there was a need.
As a young girl, her greatest happiness was riding horses and going to races. She seriously entertained the idea of becoming a jockey; however, her 5’10” height precluded her from pursuing that dream. But, her love of horses never stopped and she took to drawing them at various times in her life.
Helen had a huge heart and a gypsy soul and much like her beloved horses, Helen had a free spirit. She was perhaps the happiest when she was travelling throughout the United States during the 80s and 90s. Her love of the showmen and their way of life was a marvel. She moved a lot as there was always a brighter opportunity somewhere down the road. Through her adventures she was able to hone many skills. She loved lakes and beaches and was a great fisherwoman. She was an artist, a model, a rock hound, and very gifted at crocheting. Several of her afghans garnered ribbons at the Tri-State Fair. She loved all things Native American, especially turquoise and one of her favorite places to be was Santa Fe. Throughout her travels, she sought God and eventually became a seeker who found God in many religions.
Helen was predeceased by her parents Geneva Farley Bumpus and Lawrence Bumpus and her daughter-in-law, Josefina Beveridge. She is survived by her son, David Beveridge and wife Mirtha of Garland, Texas; her daughter Ileana Jennings and wife, Rachael Collins of Happy, Texas; two granddaughters, Mariah Neusch and husband Derrick of Amarillo, Texas, and Liberty Jennings of Happy, Texas; two sisters Beverly Holloway and husband Patrick of Arkansas and Judy Urvan also of Arkansas; and many nieces and cousins. Services will be held at Happy Memorial Cemetery in Happy, Texas on Saturday, August 14, 2021 at 10:00 am. Helen spent a lifetime struggling with mental and medical issues and in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Helen was born on January 4, 1947 to Geneva Farley Bumpus and Lawrence Bumpus in Amarillo. She was the middle sister to Judy Urvan and Beverly Holloway. Headstrong and always determined, Helen fell in love, dropped out of school and married young. She later returned to school to earn her GED and then proudly made her way through nursing school and became a LVN. She was rightfully proud of her accomplishment and was a wonderfully caring nurse.
Helen was blessed with two children. David Beveridge arrived first in 1966. With David she shared a love of cooking and together they spent countless hours in the kitchen learning and sharing recipes. Her second child, Ileana, arrived in 1970. With Ileana she shared her love of music and travel, especially the mountains of New Mexico. Ileana went on many different adventures with her mother and learned to see the world through a different set of eyes. In a way only Helen could, she loved her family immensely. Her grandchildren, Mariah Neusch and Liberty Jennings brought her great joy as well as all of her nieces, aunts, uncles, and cousins. She would spend hours talking about genealogy and loved to share the backstories of her predecessors. Beyond her family, Helen was also a mother to many others as she took in and sheltered many wayward teens in the 70s and 80s. When so many were struggling, she would always share what she had when there was a need.
As a young girl, her greatest happiness was riding horses and going to races. She seriously entertained the idea of becoming a jockey; however, her 5’10” height precluded her from pursuing that dream. But, her love of horses never stopped and she took to drawing them at various times in her life.
Helen had a huge heart and a gypsy soul and much like her beloved horses, Helen had a free spirit. She was perhaps the happiest when she was travelling throughout the United States during the 80s and 90s. Her love of the showmen and their way of life was a marvel. She moved a lot as there was always a brighter opportunity somewhere down the road. Through her adventures she was able to hone many skills. She loved lakes and beaches and was a great fisherwoman. She was an artist, a model, a rock hound, and very gifted at crocheting. Several of her afghans garnered ribbons at the Tri-State Fair. She loved all things Native American, especially turquoise and one of her favorite places to be was Santa Fe. Throughout her travels, she sought God and eventually became a seeker who found God in many religions.
Helen was predeceased by her parents Geneva Farley Bumpus and Lawrence Bumpus and her daughter-in-law, Josefina Beveridge. She is survived by her son, David Beveridge and wife Mirtha of Garland, Texas; her daughter Ileana Jennings and wife, Rachael Collins of Happy, Texas; two granddaughters, Mariah Neusch and husband Derrick of Amarillo, Texas, and Liberty Jennings of Happy, Texas; two sisters Beverly Holloway and husband Patrick of Arkansas and Judy Urvan also of Arkansas; and many nieces and cousins. Services will be held at Happy Memorial Cemetery in Happy, Texas on Saturday, August 14, 2021 at 10:00 am. Helen spent a lifetime struggling with mental and medical issues and in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness.