Helen Louise Tinkham, 93, died Tuesday, November 28, 2025, at Las Vegas, NV.
She was born on November 18, 1932, at Sedgwick, KS to Ray Stanley and Hazel Phoebe (Fry) Arrowsmith.
She grew up on a farm in Harvey County and attended Bentley High School where she was a cheerleader and sang in the women?s choir. Following graduation, she worked for Bell Telephone
as a switchboard operator.
On December 24, 1950, she married Everett Stamback and became a stay-at-home mom raising five children.
She was active in the Methodist Church, singing in the choir and teaching Sunday school. She was also a Brownie and Girl Scout leader.
Following a divorce from Everett, she attended Hutchinson Community College and earned a degree as a medical librarian.
She then married Russ Tinkham on June 17, 1989, and worked in several Arizona hospitals as a medical coder and reviewer of Medicare charges.
She and her sisters were musically talented. Helen played piano and had perfect pitch and though she was a soprano she often sang harmony with her sisters as an alto.
Helen and Russ divorced and she moved to Las Vegas in 2012 and began singing with the Music Makers till she was 88 when she moved into Las Ventatus Independent and Assisted Living where
she passed.
Helen is survived by her children, son: Terry Stamback, Stillwater, OK; daughters: Debra Larsen, Las Vegas, NV; Teresa Van Sickle, Kansas City, MO; Carla Lane, Pearland, TX; Lori Hotzel,
Lenexa, KS; six grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents: brothers: Max, Donovan, and Richard Arrowsmith and sisters Elizabeth Learned and Hazel Milne.
Inurnment has taken place in Hillside Cemetery, Sedgwick, KS.
A memorial video may be viewed at https://animoto.com/custom-player/MyP3EmBGYhDICvFDX1AYEA
Memorials may be given to the Kansas Humane Society in care of Kaufman Funeral Home, Halstead, KS.
