Helen C. Easterwood

Crawford County's first professional social worker, retired juvenile court probation officer, Miss Helen C. Easterwood, died Sunday at the age of 81.

Miss Easterwood, of Meadville, died at United Methodist Nursing Hospital after a long illness.

Following 40 years of service to the county as a probation officer, she retired January 15, 1965.  At that time, President Judge P. Richard Thomas termed her retirement "a great loss to the county."  He said, "Her long devoted services to the Child Welfare Service and Juvenile Court has made Crawford County a better place in which to live."

She remained available for consultation to the county, working on adoption matters for Meadville Children's Aid Society.

A 1918 Allegheny College gradaute, Miss Easterwood was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, scholastic honorary society.  She did graduate work at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore where she received a master's degree in political economy.  She taught school for one year at Cochranton and for five years was associated with Henry Watson Children's Aid Society in Baltimore.

A past president of Pennsylvania Probation and Parole Assn., she also was a member of National Assn. of Social Work, National Probation and Parole Assn. and National Academy of Social Workers, and was a board member emeritus of Gannondale Home for Girls, Erie.  She also was a member of Meadville Garden Club, Antique Study Club and Christ Church, Episcopal.

Born in Pittsburgh, January 27, 1896, she was a daughter of Frank and Adelaide Cullum Easterwood.  There are no immediate survivors.

Services were held at Waid Funeral Home.

Interment of cremated remains was in Greendale Cemetery.