Obituary of Helen Rose Humiston

Helen L. Humiston of the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Township and formerly of Bernardsville, died of pneumonia on May 18, 2012 in Somerset Hospital in Somerville. She was 91.She was born Helen Rose Luehman (Luhmann) on June 19, 1920 in East Orange, New Jersey to August T. and Helen Rieth Luehman (Luhmann). She was the widow of Charles Edward Humiston, Jr. who died in 1991 at age 82. Following graduation from East Orange High School and Berkeley Secretarial School Helen worked at the National City Bank in New York until her marriage in 1940. In 1948 Helen moved with her husband and three children to the Twin Lakes section of Bernardsville, and lived there until moving to Basking Ridge in the late 1990s. In her later years she also had a home in Naples, Florida where she spent part of the year. She was an avid knitter and seamstress, and knitted warm outerwear for servicemen during World War II. When her children were young she made much of their clothing herself, and for a time was leader of a 4-H sewing group. Summer vacations were spent with her family visiting Humiston relatives on their farms in Ohio or camping in the Adirondack Mountains. On October 1, 1955 Helen began working for the Borough of Bernardsville in the position of Deputy Clerk to then Clerk, Aline Decker. Upon retirement of her predecessor in 1962, Helen was promoted to Clerk, also serving as Treasurer for both the Borough and the Board of Education, as well as Secretary to the Borough Council and the Board of Adjustment. Helen loved her job and the people with whom she worked, forming treasured and life-long friendships there. She retired on May 1, 1991 after 35 years of service. Helen is survived by three children: Lucy H. Pare of the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Township, Bruce L. Humiston of Phillipsburg, and Kenneth K. Humiston of Naples, Florida; four grandchildren: Alexander Ferris (Michael John Ferrante, III), Helen Ferrante de Britez, Anastasia Ferrante, and Rochel Fowler; and eight great-grandchildren. She is also survived by a sister, Elaine L. Adler of West Chester, Pennsylvania.S he was predeceased by one half-brother and three brothers. Bailey Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Helen was cremated, as she wished. A memorial gathering will be held at the Gladstone Tavern, 273 Main Street, Gladstone from 3:00 until 5:00 P. M. on Tuesday, June 19th, which would have been her 92nd birthday. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made either to the Hemlock Society of Florida, Inc. (www.hemlockflorida.org), P. O. Box 121093, West Melbourne, Florida 32912-1093. The Hemlock Society was formed in 1980 to campaign for the right of a terminally ill person to choose voluntary euthanasia; or to the Willard Lee Arntz Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o the Peapack Reformed Church, P. O. Box 253, 224 Main Street, Peapack, N. J. 07934. Willard was a close friend of the family and an Army Staff Sergeant who was killed in action in Vietnam in 1968.