Helen (Rich) Venturoni Boles passed away on March 4, 2018. She was born February 25, 1923 to parents Joseph D. Rich and Zilpha Almond Rich. She celebrated her 95th birthday with children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren one week before her death.

Helen graduated from Senior High School and then received her teaching certificate from Teacher's College, now MSU. Her first teaching job was in Mentor, MO where she drove her Model A Ford from Springfield to teach grades 1-8. She met Leonard Venturoni at the USO in downtown Springfield. They were married in April 1945. They had two children, Joe and Carol. After 19 years of marriage, Leonard died in 1964, leaving Helen to carry on and provide. She went back to school to polish her clerical skills and worked for Guard Detective Agency, the Springfield Police Department, and Springfield Regional Airport until her retirement in 1994. In 1967, Helen married Loren Boles, who died in 1975.

Helen was preceded in death by her parents, daughter-in-law Louise Venturoni, granddaughter Jennifer Sparlin, and many extended family members and good friends from Grace Methodist Church, where she was a faithful member for 82 years.

She is survived by her son, Joe Venturoni, daughter Carol Sparlin (Glenn), granddaughters Ginger Venturoni and Katie Renkoski (Jim), grandson Michael Sparlin (Stephanie), great-grandson Logan, and three great-granddaughters, Lydia, Emmy, and Cecily.

Thank you to her many dear friends with whom she talked often and shared many years of good times. Thank you to all those who visited her, mailed cards, and called frequently. Thank you to her home caregivers and to all the kind and caring people at Sonshine Manor in Republic.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, March 8, 2018 at 12:00 PM at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home. Visitation will be held from 11:00 AM until the time of service. Burial will follow at National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Grace United Methodist Church in her name.