Petty, Helen Clare

Helen Clare Petty passed away July 13, 2010, at the proud age of 99. Helen was born May 21, 1911, in Viola, Iowa, to Clarence H. Petty and Floy Garretson Petty.

A fiercely independent woman, Helen left Viola in 1928, shortly after the completion of her secondary education, to attend Lindenwood College in St. Charles, Mo. She then attended Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls, after which she began her lengthy and successful teaching career beginning in Iowa. In 1939, she moved from her home state of Iowa to Colorado, where she attended the University of Colorado - Boulder, at which she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1940.

After earning her degree from the University of Colorado, she continued with graduate work and teaching elementary school, junior high school, and high school in Colorado, Iowa, and Salt Lake City, Utah. From Salt Lake City, she moved to Elko, Nev., where she decided to take a break from teaching and began working at the United States Weather Bureau. It was in Elko where she met her longtime companion of nearly 50 years, Enos Arrascada.

In the early 1950s, Helen moved to Reno and resumed her teaching career in 1954 with the Washoe County School District, teaching at Northside Elementary School, Stead Elementary School, and Swope Middle School. She retired from the school district in 1975.

Upon her retirement, she began breeding, raising, showing, caring for, and most of all, loving Persian Cats. She was one of the founding members and past president of The Silver Cats Club of Reno.

Helen was predeceased by her parents, Clarence H. Petty and Floy Garretson Petty; her longtime companion, Enos Arrascada, and Enos' son, LeRoy Arrascada, whom she always stated was the closest thing she ever had to a son. She is survived by LeRoy's wife, Ellen Arrascada, and by what Helen would say were her adopted grandchildren, Mary Ellen Arrascada (Matt Zier), John Arrascada (Betsabeth), Joseph Arrascada and Christine Arrascada Aramini (John); and her adopted great-grandchildren, Elena Aramini, Amaya Aramini, Angelo Aramini and Sabrina Arrascada. She is also survived by various family members in Iowa, including her cousin, Patty Foley Bingham, and Barbara Bingham Armstrong, and Amy Bingham of California.

After an influential, independent, and vigorous life, Helen will be laid to rest at Wilcox Cemetery in Viola next to her parents.