Helen Prendergast

PRINCETON — Helen Ann (Hebel) Prendergast, 85, of Princeton died Monday, Feb. 22, 2010, at Liberty Village of Princeton after an extended illness.

She was born Sept. 12, 1924, in Peru to Andrew and Helen (Hardebeck) Hebel.

She was a 1942 graduate of LaSalle-Peru High School and received her master’s degree in history from the University of Chicago in 1947. She began teaching English at LaSalle-Peru High School in 1960 and served as the English department chair from 1967 to 1980. After retiring from teaching in 1980, she worked as an office administrator in a local dental office and later in a law office.

Surviving are eight sons, John (Susan) of Sycamore, Patrick (Susan) of Cobden, Michael (Barbara) of Princeton, Thomas (Cindy) of Wheaton, David (Kathleen) of Inverness, Richard (Marcia) of Dallas, Texas, James (Sharon) of Downers Grove and Paul of West Frankfort; two sisters, Jean (Don) Killelea of McAllen, Texas, and Nancy (Jack) Schaenzer of Flint, Mich.; two sisters-in-law, June Hebel of Peru and Kathryn Hebel of Florida; 16 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; five brothers, Andrew, George, Dick, Jack and Tom; one sister, Mary Jane Aplington; and one granddaughter, Sarah Prendergast.

Services will be at noon Friday at St. Joseph’s Church, Peru. Burial will be in St. Joseph’s Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Mueller Funeral Home in Peru.

Memorials may be directed to The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, the Alzheimer’s Association or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.