May 7, 1937 – August 7, 2026
Helen Collins Stewart, 89, passed away peacefully on August 7, 2026, at her home, surrounded by the family who loved her so dearly.
Helen was born on May 7, 1937, in Vardy, TN, to the late Crodell Collins and Viola Mae Gibson Collins.
On November 21, 1961, Helen married the love of her life, Marvin Edward Stewart, in Jackson County, IN. Together, they built a life centered around family, love, and home. Marvin preceded her in death on October 12, 2001.
Helen was a mother of many, but to her family, she was so much more than that. Helen was comfort. Helen was home. Helen was the heart of our family. She was the person who made you feel loved simply by being near her. Her home was a place where you could always come back to, where there was always room for one more, and where love was never in short supply.
Helen devoted her life to her family. She cherished her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and everyone fortunate enough to call her family. Her greatest joy was the family she created and the generations that came after her.
She is survived by her four daughters, Polly (Steven) Mullins of Freetown, Dianne Stewart of Brownstown, Connie (Roger) Stuckwisch of Bedford, and Janie (Tim) Newkirk of Brownstown; and her son, Rick Stewart of Texas City, TX. She leaves behind 14 grandchildren, Robert Jr., Brian, Christi, Ricky, Helen, Jonathan, Angel, Adrian, Cory, Joshua, Dylan, Angela, Ryan, and David; 34 great-grandchildren, with another precious great-grandchild expected in March; and three great-great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Marilyn Fry Collins; along with many nieces and nephews whom she loved and cherished dearly.
Helen was preceded in death by her parents, Crodell Collins and Viola Mae Gibson Collins; he stepmother, Eva Bell Collins; her beloved husband, Marvin Edward Stewart; her sons, Marvin Franklin Stewart and Billy Joe Stewart; her great-great-granddaughter, Emma Isabella; her daughter-in-law, Betsy Stewart; her son-in-law, Robert; her sisters, Betty Collins and Annette Striner; and her brothers, Roland Collins and Denver Collins.
Helen knew the deepest kind of love, the love of a mother, a grandmother, and a family matriarch. She experienced the joy of watching her family grow through the generations while also carrying the heartbreak of losing those she loved along the way. Even through life’s hardest moments, Helen’s love remained the thread that held her family together.
There will never be another mom who is quite like her. We will miss her voice. We will miss her hugs. We will miss sitting beside her. We will miss hearing her stories and sharing the everyday moments that once seemed so ordinary but now mean everything. We will miss being able to walk through her door and know that Mom was there.
Her passing leaves a space in our family that can never be filled. But her love will continue through every child she raised, every grandchild she adored, every great-grandchild she watched grow, and every generation that carries a piece of her forward. And someday, when it is our time to make our way home, we know Mom will be there, just as she always was—with the door open, the light on, and a loving heart waiting for us. Mothers never really die. They simply keep the house up in heaven.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at the Burkholder Chapel of Thorne Family Funeral Homes, 419 N. Chestnut St., Seymour, IN, with the Rev. Damon Spurgeon officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery in Seymour, IN. Visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. until the time of service on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at the Burkholder Chapel of Thorne Family Funeral Homes.
Memorial contributions may be made in Helen’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Jon Pace and Scotty Wessel at the Burkholder Chapel of Thorne Family Funeral Homes in Seymour.
Memories and condolences may be shared and flowers may be ordered at www.ThorneFunerals.com.
