Helen Louise (Dunlap) Taylor , 85, died peacefully on Sunday, December 28 after fighting a courageous battle with Alzheimer?s disease for nearly a decade. A former resident of St. Clairsville and Cadiz , Helen spent her last years at Countryview Nursing Home of Sunbury where she received excellent care from their staff and from Acclaim Hospice.

Helen was born in Bloomingdale , Ohio on January 3, 1923 to the late Willard and Grace Humphrey Dunlap. She was married for 56 years to William Taylor Sr. who passed away January 3, 2004. Also preceding her in death were her sister Marjorie Thomas and brothers Ralph and Charles Dunlap.

Helen is survived by two sons and their wives William "Jeff" and Noreen of Reynoldsburg, and Michael and Kim of Ashville, OH . Daughter Susan resides in Delaware, OH. Also surviving are four grandsons; Cory and Camron Taylor, James and Jerry McAfee and one great granddaughter Madyson McAfee along with several sisters-in-law and many nieces, nephews and their families.

A survivor of polio in the 1950s, Helen was a devoted wife and mother who loved to cook and tend to her flowers. Many people also remember her as the cheerful lady who enjoyed working at the candy counter at Montgomery Wards until the store was closed. Although she was generally a shy person until you got to know her, Helen had an uncanny sense of humor that many did not see. Not known to even her children until her later years, Helen played the clarinet in high school, loved to ice skate and even was in a school play.

Visitation will be at Toothman Funeral Home in St. Clairsville on Sat. Jan. 3 from 12 to 2 p.m. with funeral services to follow; burial will follow at the Belmont County Memorial Park.

In honor of Helen, her sister Marjorie and her parents, all of whom battled Alzheimer?s disease, contributions can be made to the Central Ohio Alzheimer?s Association, 3380 Tremont Road, Columbus, Ohio 43221.