Obituary of Helen E. Rupp

Helen E. Rupp (nee Plum) age 98 of Darby and Secane passed away on February 21, 2014 at Little Flower Manor. Born and raised in Grafton, West Virginia, Helen moved to West Philadelphia in the early 1940's, when her husband Charles was transferred while working for the B&O Railroad. Helen and Charles eventually settled in Southwest Philadelphia, where their only child, Ina Jo was born in 1942, and granddaughter Helen in 1964. They resided at 54th and Woodland until the early 70's when they moved to Darby, in Delaware County. Her youngest sister, Martha, and her husband and family moved to the same area, as did Charles' brother, Henry. It comforted her to have close family in close proximity. Helen and Charlie had a summer home in Rock Hall, Maryland where for over 30 years, Charlie enjoyed crabbing, gardening, boating and fishing and Helen enjoyed trips to the local county stores and Dairy Queen. She would entertain family and friends there, and she especially looked forward to visits with her sisters Ruth and Martha (Cody) and Charles' brothers and sisters and all the nieces and nephews that came along! She became adept at frying up freshly caught rock fish and steaming crabs. They were both animal lovers - especially dogs and throughout their lives together always had a dog at home. Helen and Charlie joined a Senior Citizens social and travelling group at BVM church in Darby, and they went on many trips with them. Two of her favorites were Nashville, TN and Nova Scotia. But the trips Helen looked forward to the most were the annual family reunions that her niece would host in West Virginia, where she and Charles would go back and see all their loved ones separated by the miles. They would take nieces and nephews, and eventually, granddaughter and great grandchildren, on the tours of all the places where they grew up: The one room school house she attended as a child, the Plum and Rupp family homes, the lake they would swim in, the B&O RR station, so prevalent in the family since her father and husband and many others worked on the railroad, the Grafton Hotel, and the mandatory visit to the Plum family plot at Blue Mont cemetery to look for the graves of all those that had already passed on. Helen and Ina Jo earned their nicknames, "Big Nan" and "Other Nan" once Steven, Julie and Sarah were old enough to need to distinguish the two grandmoms in their lives. The name stuck with her and she became "Big Nan" to many other folks over the years. Helen and Charlie lived on Shetland Road in Darby until Charles passed in 2006. At that time, Helen moved in with her granddaughter and family, Helen and Joe, Steven, Julie and Sarah, until the time when she was no longer able to be cared for at home. She was a resident of Little Flower Manor in her final years, where she was close enough for family to visit frequently, and received wonderful care from the Little Flower staff. Helen was a loving and generous person, with a dry, biting wit and great sense of humor. She was loved by many and will be greatly missed. Helen is predeceased by her husband of 65 years Charles Rupp who passed away in 2006, her three sisters Ruth Sylvester, Martha Wagner and Elizabeth Plum and her parents James and Edna Plum previously of Grafton. She is survived by her loving daughter Ina Jo Khan, granddaughter Helen (Joe) Sanders, great grandchildren Steve, Julie and Sarah , step grandchildren Jillian, Bryn and Kelly and Many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews. Memorial Service to celebrate Helen's life will take place on Sat. March 1, 2014 at 10:30AM at McCausland Garrity Marchesani Funeral Home, 343 S. Chester Pike, Glenolden, PA. 19036. Visitation Saturday, 9:30-10:30AM at the funeral home. Burial Private Conributions: Delaware County SPCA, 555 Sandy Bank Rd. Media, PA. 19064 ( www.delcospca.org) or to Justic Rescue www.justice-rescue.com/donate.aspx-online would be appreciated.