Brundidge, Helen 'Sandy' Arlene (Wickham)

Helen “Sandy” Arlene (Wickham) Brundidge, 79, of Cedar Rapids, died Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010, in St. Luke's Hospital, Cedar Rapids, following a long fight with colon cancer since 2008. Services: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 31, at Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cedar Rapids, by Perry Cruse. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial: Linwood Cemetery, Cedar Rapids.

Helen leaves behind Sandra (Lyle) Chapman of Center Point, Paula (Jerry) Bruner, Sherry (Ed) Voelpel, Debbie (Doug) Phillips, Louie Brundidge and Kathy (Thomas) Patrick, all of Cedar Rapids; grandchildren, Scott (Lynn) Chapman of Cedar Rapids, Tony (Diane) Chapman of Whitter, Angela Chapman of Des Moines, Shawn (Tammy) Bruner of Atkins, Beth Brecht of North English, Chuck Phillips, Doug Phillips, Jr., Lindsey (Dave) Fincher, Rahiem Martin, Paris Martin, all of Cedar Rapids, Tre Martin of Texas, and Janica Patrick, Tyree Patrick and Uriah Patrick, all of Cedar Rapids; 19 great-grandchildren; and 10 great-great-grandchildren. Helen also leaves behind her two sisters-in-law, Darlene Fleming and Irene Peterson; one brother-in-law, John “Jack”Brundidge; and nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul in 1973; her father, John in 1974; her mother, Vivian in 1953; her grandson, Mark Bruner in 2002; her brothers, Donald Wallace in 1914 in Wacoma, Iowa and Robert Wickham in 1994 in California; her sisters, Ruth Aanes in 2001 in Fayette, Margaret “Bea” Miller in 2010 in Solon, Hope Blackwell in 1989 in Iowa City and Barbara Sheppard in 2004 in California; and her half sister, Lillian St. John in 1975 in Seattle.

Helen was born to John Wallace Wickham and Vivian Lucille (Shook) Wickham on Jan. 8, 1931, in West Union, Iowa. She moved with her family to Cedar Rapids at the age of 13. She met her future husband, Paul Franklin Brundidge, in 1946 at the roller skating rink. Paul proposed to her at the wishing well in Bever Park and they were married three months later in Clinton. She worked for Wilson and Farmstead for a combined 27 years.

She was a great mother and grandmother. She took in and raised children who were her friends' children and raised grandchildren. She helped anyone that she could.

Please sign the online guest book for Helen at  under obituaries.