Helen May (Roberts) Grose

Helen May Roberts Grose passed from this life into the arms of her Lord on Saturday, October 14, 2017, at the age of 89. A Going Home Celebration for Helen May Grose, 89, of Shawnee will be at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, October 19, 2017, at  Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral Home with Pastor Jack Darnell, Cache Creek Cowboy Church, Lawton officiating. 

Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery.

Helen May Grose, daughter of Carl and Lillie Roberts, began her life on December 31, 1927, in a tent in Shawnee, Oklahoma. She rode an Army truck to get to Ft. Sill's grade school. She attended Junior High and High School in the old Central High building in downtown Lawton, which was originally the old Lawton High School. During her school years, she was an active member of the Girl Scouts. Helen grew up living at Ft. Sill, then in a house on "G" Street, and eventually the family moved to 1716 Ash Avenue in Lawton.  

Helen met the love of her life, John Grose, the only man she ever dated, and they were married on February 22, 1948. While dating John, Helen always referred to him as "Swell" no matter where they went or what they did. John asked her to marry him on the front porch steps of her parent's house on Ash Avenue. They became engaged right before he left on his tour to Korea.  Two years after his return from Korea, John and Helen married and made Lawton their home while raising their three daughters; Linda, Deborah, and Tina. They were married 68 years until the time of John's death on May 1, 2016.

Helen was an expert seamstress making most of her daughter's clothes, including their wedding dresses, as well as her own when her and John married. She enjoyed crafts and loved crocheting. Each of her daughters and grandchildren received an afghan designed just for them. Helen also entered the Comanche County Fair and won numerous awards and ribbons. She had a green thumb with plants, with African violets being her specialty. Aside from being a homemaker, Helen worked for C.R. Anthony department store, Lawton, for 20 years. For many years, she was an avid supporter of the Publisher's Clearing House, unfortunately never winning. 

Helen was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Lawton, for 60 plus years. Beginning in 1985, Helen and John enjoyed traveling in many campers, fifth wheelers, and finally an RV, with the Lawton Chapter of the Good Sam Club. Together they traveled all over Oklahoma attending jamborees and camp-outs. Helen and John moved from their last home at 5206 S.E. Lee Blvd, Lawton, to Brentwood Senior Living where they lived for three years, but eventually moved to Shawnee Colonial Estates, Shawnee, due to health issues. Helen will be dearly missed by family and friends.

She is survived by three daughters, Linda Haynes and husband, David, Beggs, OK, Deborah Darnell and husband, Jack, of Lawton, OK, and Tina Williams, Edmond, OK; her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Paul and LeQuita Grose, Greenwood, Arkansas; five grandchildren, David Haynes and wife, Elise, Christopher Haynes and wife, Valerie, Norman, Stephen Haynes and wife, Sarah, Beggs, Tanischa Williams, Edmond, and Gabe Crawford, White Plains, New York; ten great grandchildren, Meghan Haynes, Joel Haynes, Luke Haynes, Elle Haynes, CJ Haynes, Caleb Haynes, Levi Haynes, Hannah Haynes, Ty Haynes, and Mia Williams; and many cousins and friends. 

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, John; her parents; two brothers; grandparents; and many other relatives and friends. 

A special thank you to the staff at Shawnee Colonial Estates for the excellent and loving care given to Helen during her time there.

Visitation will be held from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 18, 2017 at the funeral home.

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