Nancy Ellen (Helmreich) Neal Forrest

Nancy Neal Forrest passed away, and her soul was ushered to heaven on her 90th birthday, January 3, 2023. She passed away peacefully surrounded by family. While she was not awake in her final days, we all sat with her, loved on her and shared our favorite memories. We are sure she heard the stories along with our laughter and tears.

Nancy Helmreich was born on January 3, 1933 in Gnadenhutten, OH to Ted and Lois Helmreich. She was raised as a depression era country girl from hearty German stock and had one younger sister, Louanne. She grew up on five rural acres with pigs, chickens and a large vegetable garden. She worked in the garden and once said the chickens would peck at her hand as she gathered their eggs before school and she didn’t like that much. She was a good student, although we’re not sure that trait passed on to all of her kids. She played the piano and clarinet and was a majorette in the HS band. It is said she was a bit of a rebel as a teen, details not available.

Nancy graduated from West Lafayette HS (Ohio) in 1951 and married Ralph “Dean” Neal in 1951 shortly after graduation. Dean and Nancy moved their family to South Bend, IN in 1955 where the family grew to six children (Terri, Dena, Ted, Linda, Lisa, Ralph). She was known to be an excellent seamstress who made many of the clothes her kids wore including dresses and sport coats. Based on family pictures her home haircuts left a lot to be desired. She was also known as an excellent cook. Among her kids’ favorites were her potato soup, homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs, lasagna, fried pork chops, pot roast and cherry pie. Nancy and Dean loved to dance; she could really cut a rug. They also loved to play cards with friends and had what they called “bridge club”.

Nancy raised her children until Dean passed away in 1968. After Dean’s passing, Nancy went to nursing school, graduating in 1972 while continuing to raise her family. During this time and during the 1970’s the family didn’t have a lot but it never really felt that way. She continued to be an excellent cook and could feed a crowd on a dime; and she had to. Her macaroni casserole, hamburger pie, creamed tuna on toast and ham salad among others became comfort food. On occasion we got treated to McDonald’s, Nicola’s or Barnaby’s. A majority of this time the family resided on Riverside Drive and her children frequently played across the street in the open field, down the hill on the river bank and at Leeper Park. There was never a time where there wasn’t a pet in the house as the family had several dogs and cats (and their litters) along with various and sundry rodents over the years.

During the summer Nancy would occasionally pack up her kids into the station wagon and head to Chicago to see the Cubs play. We would park a long way from Wrigley where the parking was cheaper and she made sure we all got a hot dog and a coke as we rooted for our team and we soaked in the Cubbie blue pinstripes and the beautiful green ivy of Wrigley Field. We got to see the legends: Santo, Kessinger, Beckert, Banks, Hundley, Williams, Fergie just to name a few. We often listened to rock ‘n roll music on the radio during the trips and it was on one of those early 1970’s trips listening to Credence Clearwater Revival’s Bad Moon Rising that mom thought they sang, “There’s a bathroom on the right”. Classic. Speaking of music Nancy loved Frank Sinatra, Elton John, Elvis, Neil Sedaka, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Average White Band and Earth, Wind and Fire. She loved big band and swing music and she was known to play her vinyl on a regular basis.

She will forever be known as the mom who took her six kids in a Winnebago on a 30-day trip across the country to the west coast and back. She did so against the better judgment of everyone who loved her! It was a journey that provided a lifetime of memories for all six of her kids making stops in places like Mitchells Corn Palace. Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, Reno, The Great Salt Lake, Sunset Boulevard, San Diego Zoo, Houston Astrodome, the Grand Canyon and various caves. The Neal’s were the Griswold’s before the Griswold’s.

She was a voracious reader who was regularly seen after work at her favorite spot on the couch reading many books, drinking beer and smoking cigarettes. From time to time whoever drew the short straw got paid a penny a minute to massage her feet after she worked a particularly tough shift at the Memorial Hospital ER. She was a well-respected emergency room nurse and was given the nickname “Nancy Nurse”.

During these years we all learned many lessons, both spoken and unspoken:

Get your college degree so you don’t end up like me

If it is worth having, it is worth working for

Socks don’t just grow legs and walk out of here

We don’t live in a barn

Pets help make a house a home

You better eat your vegetables otherwise be prepared for a very long standoff at the dinner table (or learn to smuggle them out in your pocket)

Work hard, do your very best and you will get ahead

With a house full of people and limited seating, the five-minute rule applies

Nancy married Dr. Norman Forrest (better known as Norm) in 1981. At that time they moved to the south side of town and Nancy retired from nursing. She stayed active for the next several years by working in his medical practice as the Office Manager. By the late 1980’s she retired as grandchildren started popping up in her life. Nancy and Norm did a little dancing of their own and she could still shake a leg. Nancy was in both a golf league and bowling league for many years and was pretty good at both. The years that followed included annual trips to Keeneland Race track where mom had a real knack for picking horses and refused to share her system. Summers usually included renting a cabin at Crystal Lake, Michigan. They toured Israel following the travels of the disciple Paul. They toured Alaska and took a number of trips to Florida. Of course they visited all six kids wherever they were living. She finished her journey with 12 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren and was married to Norm for 41 years.

Nancy was known for her infectious laugh and for speaking her mind and she played many roles in her life including daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, nurse, friend, voracious reader, seamstress, bowler, golfer, majorette, pianist, clarinetist, euchre player and fantastic cook. While we wait to joyfully see her again in God’s kingdom, we know her spirit and her example live on through us and she is with Gram, Gramps and Dad.