Helen B. Strauch, 91, an Elmhurst resident since 1941 who devoted a large part of her life to various organizations in the city, died of cancer Monday, Nov. 18 in the Oak Brook Healthcare Center. Mrs. Strauch, a native of Cicero, attended Morton High School before she had to quit to help support her family through the Depression. While working at a five-and-dime store, she met her future husband, Walter. The couple married in 1934 and settled in Chicago. She worked until the birth of her first son and had two more sons, said her oldest son, Walter. “From the time I was in Lincoln School in 1944 to the time my youngest brother, Bill, graduated from college in 1971, she never missed one of our activities or sporting events,” her son said. Her husband died in 1960. Mrs. Strauch went back to work. For several years she was a secretary at Edison School in Elmhurst. She became a secretary for the Valeron Corp. in Addison for 10 years. For the next six years, she worked at the First United Methodist Church of Elmhurst as a secretary. Mrs. Strauch also volunteered at the Elmhurst Presbyterian Church, where she was a member for 43 years and a deacon. She was secretary for the Presbyterian Women’s Association, a group of 11 area Presbyterian churches. For years, Mrs. Strauch set aside her Wednesday mornings to prepare and deliver meals through the Meals on Wheels program. Mrs. Strauch was also an active member of the Elmhurst Symphony Auxiliary. She often would help prepare meals for the musicians before performances. “She would say, `Now, it’s time to make my 100 little sandwiches,” her son, Walter, said. Other survivors include sons, Wayne and William; a brother Robert Marten; 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday in the Ahlgrim Funeral Home, 567 S. Spring Rd., Elmhurst. Services will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday in Elmhurst Presbyterian Church, 367 S. Spring Rd.
