Helen LeBeau Freed Whiteleather - 2003
MHS 1923 Graduate
Helen LeBeau Freed Whiteleather, Class of 1924, was nominated to the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame by her daughter Carol Whiteleather Thomas. Additional nominations were received by Ruby and Arthur Guy, Bertha Hawn, Martha Gartner, and Robert McMillan. Carol says of her mother, "She was a credit to her Alma Mater, her community and her church."
Helen was born August 23, 1907, to Elmer and Emma Lebeau Freed. She died October 1988 in Minerva.
While attending Minerva High School she was involved in many extracurricular activities, including debate, Glee Club, and Crescent staff. Helen was also an accomplished pianist, and was salutatorian of her graduating class. She then became a student of the College of Wooster where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and graduated with a major in French and a minor in English.
She returned to Minerva High School to teach French and English. She also coached debate from 1928 to1934. Carol wrote that she must have been an excellent teacher because she was able to encourage Eddie Niuman to quote Shakespeare from memory. Helen was the Patroness of the Class of 1932 and the 1932 Crescent was dedicated to her.
On June 24, 1932, Helen secretly married Plirmey Scott Whiteleather, and taught at MHS for two more years to help Scott through medical school. Scott began his medical practice in 1934. Helen and Scott became the parents of two children, Richard and Carol.
Besides being a full-time bookkeeper of Scott's records and being his assistant in the medical office, she was active in many organizations. Helen's church and community involvement was outstanding. Although she was handicapped with a hearing loss, her accomplishments were great. A member of the First Christian Church, she was a Sunday School teacher for forty years, Sunday School superintendent for many years, organized a small church youth orchestra, served on the 1949 church building committee, and was church historian for many years.
Her community work included helping to organize the Minerva Grade School PTA, and becoming a member of the library board to help make her dream of a separate library building for Minerva come true. She was a member of Eastern Star and Past Matron’s Club. Woman’s Club, Minerva Garden Club, Entre Nous, Chairman of the Red Cross, DAR, and the Minerva Area Historical Society.
When her children attended Wooster College, she because district president of the Woman’s Club. She gave many speeches and visited many clubs in her district. She gave book reviews as a member of the College Book Club in Canton and was also a member of the Canton Medical Wives’ Auxiliary.
Roby Guy wrote that Helen strove for excellence, which was her way of life, combined with her love of family, community, God and her church. Martha Gartner added that she found Helen to be, “intelligent, compassionate, patient and always ready to serve.”
Carol said that her mother’s motto could have been, “Bloom where you are planted.” Helen enjoyed being with people and was interested in learning throughout her life. Carol concluded by saying, “She was a wonderful mother. She was the ‘wind beneath my wings’ as I was growing up. I miss her very much.”