Helga Sheil

Paula Maria Helga (Scheifenbaum) Sheil age 78, of Maryville, MO passed away unexpectedly Friday, February 18, 2012, at the Heartland Hospital in St. Joseph, MO.

Helga was born in Wiesbaden, Germany on February 21, 1933 to Theodor and Katharina (Laupheimer) Schliefenbaum.

She married Michael (Mike) Sheil on June 2, 1956 in Wiesbaden and they moved to the United States in 1957. Helga was a proud and devoted wife to an American Serviceman. They were former residents of Omaha, NE, Lompoc, CA, Hobb, NM, Toyko, Japan, Hampton, VA, Springfield, MA, Washington, VA, and Maryville, MO; Mike passed away in 2005. Helga lovingly cared for Mike during his final years for which her family is deeply indebted.

Helga received her grammar and vocational schooling in Germany, and later was certified as a Diocesan Master Catechist with the Diocese of Kansas City/St. Joseph, MO. She was a member and devoted much of her time to the St. Gregory’s Bargarigo Catholic Church, Maryville, MO. She lived her catholic faith to the fullest, striving never to overlook those in need. She will be remembered by the many youth she counseled about Catholicism.

Left to mourn her passing are her children, son, Martin and Carol (Briand) Sheil, Hudson, NH, daughter, Christine and Jimmy Salhany, Omaha, NE, son, Stephan and Barbara (Spire) Sheil, Chesapeake, VA, daughter, Rebecca and James Evans, Downers Grove, IL, son Robert and Meghan (Cavalier) Sheil, Stewart, FL, son, Francis Sheil, Antartica, son Christopher and Julie (Brown) Sheil, Cleveland, OH, son Arnold and Tamera (Thompson) Sheil, Linthicum, MD; 14 grandchildren; 2 sisters, Ingeborg Krugman, and Marianne Kroner, both of Germany; and several cousins and nieces.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 AM Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at the St. Gregory Bargarigo Catholic Church, Maryville, MO. Fr. Martin DeMeulenaere OSB, will be the officiant. The burial will be in the St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Maryville, MO.

The family will receive friends from 5-7:00 PM Monday, February 20, 2012 at the church, followed at 7:00 PM by a parish and family prayer service.

Memorials are suggested to the American Parkinson Disease Association and may be directed to the funeral home.

Services are entrusted to the Bram-Danfelt Funeral Home, Maryville.

Below is a letter written to the Sheil family by Helga's sister Ingeborg

My dear Sheil family, nieces and nephews,

I want to express my warmest sympathy to you all. Unfortunately it is
impossible for me to attend the funeral. But my thoughts are with you.

You know Helga as your mother, as daughter and son, grandchild or as
daughter- or son- in- law.

Here are some impressions from Helga's life that you can imagine what a
special person she was: Always warm-hearted, never leaving her cheerful
nature, her humour, and always in care for her family.

We have had a hard childhood during world war two, nights in air-raid
shelters, exploding bombs around us, fire, ruins and crying people all
about. Long times in cold and hunger, hours waiting infront of a bakery
for a piece of bread and so on over years.

Becoming a teenager life becomes slowly easier. And then she met Mike,
your father. She loved him from the bottom of her heart. She always named
him "My Prince". And she was never nervous to go with him wherever,
leaving her home and family and all she knew that time.

It was a big step into a strange life, another country, another culture.
In that time it was not easy to be a German in view to world war two, also
in the United States. But with her strong personality and her trust in God
she managed her life with a growing family well - not easy always, but she
tried to give her best. I hope, you will never forget what she had done
for you all.

Helga and I knew for long that we will never meet again, but we had a near
connection in our mind and often contact by phone or e-mail. Few days ago
she sent me a worderful poem that moved my heart.
I will never forget my loving sister Helga.

Embracing you all. God bless you.
Aunt Ingeborg