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We all meet special people we enjoy and whose presence lifts us.
Helyn Farris of Eagle Lake was both beautiful in her demeanor, but also to be around. She entered my young life in the 1950s and invited me to spend time with her family each time I returned from college. I’ve never forgotten those times. Helyn’s inf luence continued as she had me assigned to walk the Main Street of Raleigh, North Carolina to seek out an old building owned by a member of the Farris family in days of yore, or to meet the state librarian to confirm several family facts she was researching.
I was still figuring out who fought in the Alamo when she rightly connected me to a wider history of her own geneology and the Farris family lineage. She has excelled in those interests in the latter part of her life. She has encouraged us all to appreciate the value of learning history through the real stories of our own families, as she has done so well with diligence and delight.
Helyn always had a story about somebody. It’s safe to say not all could be told. She had a gift of remembering and making a real tale from a few facts. If you never knew about the French Huguenots, Helyn could fill you in. She even had stories of oil tycoon Glenn McCarthy for whom her father worked during the oil boom days. Her face lit up as she made new discoveries.
From office work and beautiful flower-arranging and design to a real knowledge of antiques, Helyn saw everything from an artist’s eye. She was an excellent business woman, hostess, and friend. A great story- teller, she and husband Bill could entertain and regale which they often did from their beautiful lakeside home where no one was ever a stranger.
I will miss our long-distance conversations, our reviews of books and takes on politics, local stories, and shared memories of Eagle Lake and Colorado County. For twenty years she gave the old Good/Ramsey/ Farris 1912 Hotel a new and exciting life. She catered events, and created beauty wherever she was. Always poised, Helyn worked hard and gave her projects her all. She was most proud of her talented children Candy, Melody, and Rich, and her beloved husband Bill. She was a friend to many near and far.
Helyn will be remembered with each setting Texas sun over the calm waters of Eagle Lake. We’ll think of her when we hear a good story. We’ll recall her laughter with our own, and mostly her good and talented life, which we celebrate and honor today.
