Helen Maude Ward

Helen Ward, 83, U.S. Post Office

PLANT CITY -- Mrs. Helen M. Ward enjoyed spending as much time outdoors as possible.

"You just mentioned fishing and she was ready. She had her pole and her straw hat and she was ready to go," said her son, T. David Ward of Plant City.

Mrs. Ward, a retired clerk for the U.S. Postal Service in Waverly, died of complications of Parkinson's disease Thursday (Nov. 10, 2005) at home. She was 83.

Born in Frostproof on Oct. 26, 1922, she was one of four children and grew up in the Waverly/Lake Wales area. She graduated from Lake Wales High School.

Mrs. Ward's career with the Waverly Post Office spanned 20 years before she retired.

She moved to Riverview for a while and lived on the Alafia River.

"If you went to see her, you didn't knock on the door because you knew she was out on the river fishing with her sister," David Ward said.

Mrs. Ward most recently lived in Plant City.

"She was staying in the home I built for her on the back of our property. It has a huge back wrap-around porch, and she loved to sit out there in her rocking chair," David Ward said.

She was a member and past worthy matron of the Lake Wales Order of the Eastern Star. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Lake Wales.

Mrs. Ward was preceded in death by her husband of 23 years, Thomas Davis Ward, in 1962. In addition to her son, T. David Ward, she is survived by her sisters, Edna Spivey, Plant City, George Ann Ashburn, Ocala, and Jackie Garthwaite, Brandon, and one granddaughter.

Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to noon Monday at Marion Nelson Funeral Home of Lake Wales. Graveside services will follow at 12:30 p.m. at Lake Wales Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to Lifepath Hospice, 3010 W. Azeele St., Tampa, FL 33609.