Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Housewife
• Religion: Baptist

Notes:

Helen worked after high school graduation for a number of firms: John Deere, Hartzfeld Jewelers and Lerner's Vogue. Then she worked 10 years for JR Lobaugh, Realtor. During this time she also attended junior college classes in Kansas City, Missouri. She wrote a ltter every day for a year to her future husband while he was overseas in Korea.

Helen Grace Margaret Unger Kouba was born in Kansas City, Kansas on May 24, 1927, and passed away on May 6, 2023 in Bridgeton. She was preceded in death by her parents, Agnes and Albert Unger, older brother, Bill, and husband, Emil R. Kouba.

Helen was baptized as a small child, and faithfully attended First Baptist of KCK. She wrote that she “learned to love the Lord Jesus and to accept Him as my Savior.”

After high school graduation in 1945, she went to work full-time to support her parents. She sent herself to community college at night. She worked for almost a decade at JR Lobaugh’s insurance agency, earning her broker’s license and managing the office. At church, she was involved in teaching Sunday School and singing in the choir, where a certain Air Force Airman had been invited to meet the girl next to her in the choir loft! Helen told her mom that she met a man who had the funniest name she’d ever heard; Emil Kouba! When he left for Korea, they wrote each other daily. They married on August 14, 1955, and moved to Manhattan, Kansas where they welcomed their first son, Kevin, days before graduation! They moved to St. Louis with Emerson Electric. In 1958 they settled into their new home in Florissant, and joined Florissant Presbyterian. They welcomed a second son, Douglas. Later they joined Ferguson Presbyterian, where Helen was ordained as a Deaconess, serving the sick and elderly.

Friends often came to visit Helen & Emil, and she worked tirelessly to welcome overnight company and frequent dinner guests. They welcomed a daughter, Carol.

The family joined Hazelwood Baptist in 1972, where Helen taught youth in Sunday School and helped at Vacation Bible School. She helped sick neighbors, delivered Meals on Wheels, and transported kids so often she said she needed a “chauffeur’s hat.”

After joining First Baptist Ferguson in 1978, Helen made housecalls for each child enrolled in their preschool Sunday School classes. Helen & Emil taught for over 25 years, including their five grandkids.
They took family vacations each summer, seeing almost every continental state. Helen & Emil went to Hawaii in 1980 to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, and were in Alaska during 9/11. Emil counted their wedding anniversary each month on the 14th and they celebrated with hamburgers. They reached 771 months before Emil’s death in 2019.

She and Emil loved supporting their grandkids, Philip, Andrew, Katherine, Emily and Laura with popcorn parties, rides to lessons and AWANA, attending their concerts, plays, and sporting events.

Helen survived breast cancer in 1994, a broken neck in 2016, and three strokes in 2018. She was an avid reader until Macular Degeneration dimmed most of her vision. Even into her 90’s, she loved keeping up with friends and family through Facebook.

Helen married Kouba, Emil Rosburg on 14 Aug 1955 in First Baptist Church, Kansas City, Wyandotte, Kansas, USA. Emil (son of Kouba, Emil and Rosburg, Laura Maria) was born on 21 Mar 1929 in Luzerne, Benton, Iowa, USA; died on 25 Nov 2019 in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA; was buried on 25 Nov 2019 in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Kouba, Kevin David
2. Kouba, Douglas Philip
3. Kouba, Carol Annette

Other Events and Attributes:

• Religion: Baptist

Notes:

His SSN is 510-07-7078. His tombstone in the Highland Park Cemetery, Kansas City, Kansas is inscribed with the following: "Cook 69 Infantry 10 Div. WWI. Serial number 3794234. Virginia Unger, wife of their son, William relates that he told her that his dad joined the Navy when he got back from FRANCE and was a 'seal' working on the foundation of the Statue of Liberty. He was subjected to poison gas during World War I. One of his jobs when he got back was working in the Oristes flour mill in Kansas City, Kansas. The combination of poison gas and flour mill dust casued him to develop a very serious case of lung congestion. He did a lot of coughing , which weakened his heart so he couldn't work. He finally did with an anuerism of the aorta,

He worked at the Standard Milling Co. Feb 1916 to March 1944. Then he worked at North American Aviation March 7 1944 to Feb 26, 1945

Albert married Watkins, Agnes on 14 Jan 1922 in Kansas City, Wyandotte, Kansas, USA. Agnes (daughter of Watkins, James Thomas and Cordell, Mary Jane) was born on 29 Aug 1904 in Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA; died on 19 Oct 1987 in Kansas City, Wyandotte, Kansas, USA; was buried on 21 Oct 1987 in Highland Park Cemetery, Kansas City, Wyandotte, Kansas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Religion: Baptist

Notes:

SSN is 515-18-9437. She was born in Denver, Colorado, came from Colorado back to Oklahoma in a covered wagon and then to Kansas City, Kansas. She was a very warm hearted lady. At Christmas time she would bake a basketful of cookies to take to local orphanages. It is no wonder they called her 'the cookie lady'! In later years she sold greeting cards and novelty items to augment her meager social security and veterans benefit.

Abraham married Wise, FannieAllentown, Lehigh, Pennsylvania, USA. Fannie was born about 1871 in Allentown, Lehigh, Pennsylvania, USA; died about 1901. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

She played a medium sized harp while sitting on a chair without a back. She died when Albert Unger was 8 years old. Albert then went to live with his sister, Helen. Albert named his daughter for his sister.

Notes:

Not sure of his exact birthday.

James married Cordell, Mary Jane. Mary (daughter of Cordell, Frederick and Cordell, Mrs Margaret) was born on 25 Feb 1880 in Asheville, Buncombe, North Carolina, USA; died on 7 Nov 1953 in Kansas City, Wyandotte, Kansas, USA; was buried on 10 Nov 1953 in Highland Park Cemetery, Kansas City, Wyandotte, Kansas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Information from 9 Sep 1947 letter from Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Washington DC.

The following information, including spelling of name, relationship, age, etc. is and EXACT COPY of the census record as reported by the census taker on the original schedule.

Census of 1880, taken as of June 1 Asheville, County __Bumcombe, State __ North Carolina.

Name Relationship Age Place of Birth Citizenship

Cardell, Frederick - Marget * - Mary J. *
3/12 North Carolina

*relationship not reported to the Census Bureau

bew J. C. Capt. Director.

Died:
2615 Washington Street

George married Watkins, MarySouth Carolina, USA. Mary was born in 1880 in Whitmire, Newberry, South Carolina, USA; died on 7 Nov 1953 in Kansas City, Wyandotte, Kansas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Frederick married Cordell, Mrs Margaret in UNKNOWN in USA. Margaret was born in UNKNOWN; died in DECEASED in USA; was buried in USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]