Helen Katherine Mamrak Archacki, a life-long resident of Cambridge Springs, passed away peacefully on October 25th, 2013 after successfully outliving Alzheimer’s since 2001. She was born in Braddock, PA on September 19, 1918 as the daughter of the late Elmer and Anna Demko Mamrak.

Archacki, Helen Katherine MamrakHelen was a 1936 graduate of Cambridge Springs High School. Upon graduation, Helen was employed for several summer seasons as a maid at the Riverside Inn. Her later employment, after many years as a devoted housewife and mother, was the main cook for 20 years for the sixty residents at the former San Rosario Nursing Home from 1963 to 1983. Besides being a loving mother, Helen was an active member and prominent citizen of the Cambridge Springs community. She was a devout member of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church her entire life and epitomized service to God and family. For decades, she tirelessly ironed all of the alter linens, cleaned the church, and helped continue the storied tradition of St. Anthony’s Ladies Aid Society. In addition, during her later years, she served as a weekly lector at Sunday mass. Helen’s central daily focus of living throughout her entire life was the unconditional love, support, and enjoyment of her parents, husband, children, grand-children, great-grandchildren, and her “house on the hill.”

Additionally, Helen was involved for years in several community and social organizations in Cambridge Springs: the Gam-Sac-Mah Women’s Service Club, Naphtha Dance Club, and the Beverly Home Auxiliary. Her hobbies, personal and religious interests included flower gardening, sewing, fresh garden vegetable canning, strawberry jam making, monthly 500 card playing, golfing and dancing with her husband, reading, baking, and daily rosary devotion. Many hold fond memories of Helen’s delicious home-made fruit pies provided for the Cambridge Spring’s Firemen’s Festival for decades for the “pie tent.”

On July 18, 1942, at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Helen married Carl Frank Archacki, who preceded her in death on December 27, 2003, after 61 years of marriage. She is survived by three daughters – Marcia Rice and her husband, Bob, of Mansfield, Ohio; Linda McElhinny and her husband, George of Cambridge Springs; Betty “B”?Kondzielski and her husband, Donald of Richmond, Virginia; and a son – Carl Leonard Archacki, of Richmond, Virginia; three grandsons – Patrick McElhinny and his wife, Michelle of Cambridge Springs; Ryan McElhinny and his wife, Maria of Boardman, Ohio; and Roland Deuschle and his wife, Sabrina of Spring Lake, North Carolina; a granddaughter – Reneta Music of Shelby, Ohio; seven great-grandchildren; Michael and Alexander McElhinny of Cambridge Springs, Tyler and Trinity Potts of Shelby, Ohio, and Christina, Bethany, and Abigail Deuschle of Spring Lake, North Carolina; a brother – Ralph Mamrak and his wife, Joan of Darby, Florida; and a sister – Anna Novak and her husband, Bernard of Linden, New Jersey; plus many nieces and nephews and their families. Two brothers preceded Helen in death – Elmer Mamrak of Edinboro, Pennsylvania in September of 2008 and Joseph Mamrak of St. Mary’s, Pennsylvania in December of 2008.

Friends and family are invited to pay their respects to Helen at the Van Matre Family Funeral Home, 335 Venango Avenue, Cambridge Springs, PA 16403, on Monday, October 28th from 2 to 4 and 7- to 9 p.m. Vigil prayer services will be held Monday evening at 8:30 p.m. On Tuesday morning, October 29th, all are invited to a Catholic prayer service at 9:15 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church with the Rev. David L. Poulson presiding. Christian Burial will follow at St. James Catholic Cemetery in Crossingville, PA. Following burial, all are invited to return for a luncheon celebrating Helen’s life at St. Anthony’s Parish Hall in Cambridge Springs.

Memorials may be made to St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church,165 Beach Avenue, Cambridge Springs, PA 16403 or the Cambridge Springs Public Library, 158 McClellan Street, Cambridge Springs, PA 16403.