Tributes

Helen Louise Cooke Anderson peacefully left this life to join her Lord and, Savior, Jesus Christ, on June 26, 2023, at the age of 96. Helen is survived by her daughter, Melissa Anderson Lyles, husband Jimmy Lyles and grandchildren, Sarah Allison Lyles, Matthew Braxton Lyles and wife Amanda, and two great grandchildren, Connor Lyles and Madeline Lyles. She is also survived by her sister Bernice Ferguson, sister-in-law, Louise Cooke, and several nieces, nephews and cousins she loved dearly. Helen was born in Granger, Texas, on December 30, 1926, to David Glenn and Sarah Parmele Cooke. She grew up in Austin and had many happy years there. She often visited the Family Farm in Granger. There she, Bernice, and Glenn Jr. shared many fun times with their cousins, who all loved each other as if they were siblings! Helen married Quentin Anderson in 1950, and they were blessed with two children Melissa Anderson Lyles and Quentin Jr. She spent her life loving and caring for her husband and children. As time passed, she had no greater joy than watching her grandchildren and great grandchildren grow. She would share stories and pictures about them with anyone who would listen. “GRAM” was their biggest supporter! Helen’s kind and loving heart, uplifting spirit, and wonderful sense of humor will be missed and will remain forever in our hearts. Helen was preceded in death by her devoted husband of 68 years, Quentin Sr. and their only son Quentin, Jr. Others preceding her in death were her parents and brother, Glenn Jr. A memorial service will be held Friday, July 28, at 11:00 A.M., at Coker United Methodist Church, San Antonio, Texas. The reception will follow at the church with a 2:30 P.M., inurnment at Mission Park North Cemetery on IH -10W. Memorials may be made to St Jude Children’s Hospital, a Veteran’s organization, or another charity of your choice. Helen grew up on Oakland Avenue in Austin, Texas. She graduated from Austin High School in 1944. After working for a year and a half, driven by her adventurous spirit, Helen and 3 girlfriends traveled to New York City on the train. It was truly a trip of a lifetime! She, then, attended the University of Texas for a while until meeting a tall handsome Swede, Quentin (Andy) Anderson. They married on November 22, 1950, in Austin, Texas. Helen and Quentin were blessed with two children, Melissa and Quentin, Jr. She was primarily a “stay at home” mom until it was time for the kids to go to college. To supplement the family income at that time she was a Middle School Special Needs teacher’s aide, in addition to working the 1970 Census. A lover of people, Helen was very social. She was given the gift of hospitality and loved entertaining. She enjoyed playing Bridge with dear friends and had much fun when it was her turn to host the club. She especially loved holidays when she could decorate, love and serve her family. Loving and serving the Lord was also a priority of Helen’s. A faithful and devoted Christian, she was active in and supported her church, Coker United Methodist for over 50 years. Creativity was another one of Helen’s strengths. She loved gardening, photography, sewing, quilting, furniture refinishing, and anything else she could do with her hands. Actually, there wasn’t much Helen couldn’t do if she set her mind to it. Of all the things Helen loved to do, gardening was the most fulfilling to her. She had watched her grandmother, Lula Cooke, garden as she grew up and also developed a “green thumb.” Helen was adamant about watering and feeding her plants before expecting to see any growth or blooms. Because of life’s circumstances and spending more time alone, she referred to her plants as her “friends.” As time passed and she was unable to drive, it was really fun to take Helen to run errands. She was very sharp and had a quick wit. For example, many times once out and about, Helen would leave her new acquaintances chuckling as she pushed herself along the way to enlighten her next audience….. In her late 80’s, technology became Helen’s necessary new skill. When the iPhone came on the scene, Helen mastered that, also. She wanted to “keep up” with “her people.” She even had a Facebook account and loved interacting with others. One of Helen’s passions was being a University of Texas Longhorn Super Fan! She followed and supported the “Horns” from the time she was in High School and later in life …either watching on TV or attending most games. It was also important to read and keep up with her team’s news, with the Horns being the subject of many discussions. Most important to Helen, however, was being with FAMILY.……loving and supporting them. ….NO MATTER WHAT!

Tributes

Helen Louise Cooke Anderson

December 30, 1926 - June 26, 2023