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Helen L. Reef, 101, of Ashland, passed away Tuesday morning, September 18, 2018 at her residence following a brief illness.

Helen was born in Woodsfield, Ohio on May 6, 1917 to the late Calvin Israel and Anna (Mobley) Howell. She moved to Ashland in 1950 from Flushing, Ohio.

She was the manager of the Lemley Cleaners and Furriers in Ashland, was finance manager for the Spiegel Catalog Store in Ashland and retired from the Polar Food Company where she had worked in the office.

She was a member of the Calvary Baptist Church in Ashland, a precinct worker for the Ashland County Election Board, a volunteer at Samaritan Hospital for 15 years and a member of the Eagles Lodge # 2178 of Ashland.

On February 1, 1936 Helen was married to Woodrow Wilson Reef. They were married for sixty-four years before he preceded her in death on June 23, 2000.

She is survived by her son Jimmie (Melinda) Reef of Ashland; 7 grandchildren, Kim (Kurt) Krueger, Michael (Kim) Reef, Jamie (Amy) Reef, Joseph Reef (Peter Nguyen), Amber (John) McClain, Daniel (Rachel) Stackhouse and Christopher (Emerald) Stackhouse; 14 great grandchildren, Kelsey, Kosmo, Owen, Addy, Hayden, Christian, Melia, Lliam, Eleanor, Clark, Harper, Harmony, Kersten & Jordan; and a special cousin, Bonnie Bright of Loudonville.

Helen was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Woodrow Wilson Reef and a sister, Elsie McCaslin.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, September 21, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. in the Denbow-Gasche Funeral Home with Pastor Harry Strachan officiating. Burial will be in the Nankin Cemetery. Friends may visit with the family on Friday morning from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service. The family suggests that memorial contributions may be made to the Calvary Baptist Church Building Fund, 210 N. Davis Rd. Ashland, Ohio 44805.

For those not able to attend, condolences may be made to the family by visiting denbowfh.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Helen L. Reef (Howell), please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.