Helen Sloan was born on March 11, 1923, to Mary and Joseph Hejna, the ninth of 14 children. She was married on February 6, 1943, to Lewis "Clyde" Sloan, who preceded her in death after 33 years of marriage. On April 22, 2009, she gave up a courageous and hard-fought battle after a short-term illness, taking her time to smell the flowers as she made her journey to heaven. Helen was preceded in death by her parents, Mary and Joseph; son David; and six brothers and two sisters. She is survived by her daughter, Juanita McDonald; four grandsons, Terry, James, Jerry and Tony; two great-granddaughters, Tiffany and Joanna McDonald; two sisters, Lilly and Mary; and one brother, Ed. She will be remembered by a host of caring friends and loving nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews, who were always there for her. Helen had a passion for flowers and gardening. She enjoyed collecting salt and pepper shakers, owl and cardinal figurines, and stamps. She loved staying down at the lake house. Fishing was a favorite past time and she never divulged her fishing holes. Visitation will be in Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home on Sunday, April 26, at 6:00 p.m. The funeral mass will be celebrated by Fr. Lewis Hejna, her nephew, in Immaculate Conception Church, on Monday, April 27, at 10:00 a.m. Graveside services will be held in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens, immediately following mass. Flowers are welcome or memorial contributions may be made to VFW Post 3404, 1136 E. Atlantic St., Springfield, MO 65803