Josephine Hart Helmer

On Saturday, November 7, 2015, Josephine Hart Helmer passed away in Taft, CA at the age of 98. She had resided in Taft for over 70 years. She was born in Bakersfield, CA on March 17, 1917 to M. Chester and Margaret O'Brien Hart. She was married to T. Kenneth (Ken) Helmer for 58 years. Josephine was proud to be a descendant of the pioneer Hart family that came to the Tehachapi area in the 1850s. Her interests included loving and caring for her family, gardening and telling interesting stories from her childhood of growing up in the oilfields of Coalinga, CA and in Bakersfield, Lamont and Huntington Beach, CA. She graduated from Kern County Union High School in 1935. She was preceded in death by her husband in 1995, her parents and her sisters, Mary Buscher and Margaret Kilpatrick. Josephine is survived by her daughters and their spouses, M. Patricia (James) Minor, Anne Helmer (Michel Foster), Diane (James) Smith; grandchildren and spouses, David (Gwen) Minor, Daniel (Sally) Minor, Julie Minor Sage, Nathan (Patricia) Minor, Jeffrey (Barbara) Minor, Patrice Leigh; great-grandchildren, Natalie, Veronica, Renelle, Christopher, Joshua, Amy Jo, London, Jordan. Our beloved Mom, Grandma and Great-grandma will be dearly missed by all her family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to American Cancer Society and Unity Thrift Animal Rescue in Taft. Recitation of the Rosary will be on Tuesday, November 17,2015 at 10:00 a.m. followed by Mass of Christian Burial in St. Mary's Catholic Church in Taft. Burial will follow in the West Side District Cemetery. There are no visitation hours scheduled.

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