Helen Frances Fletcher

Helen Frances Fletcher (nee Plunkett) entered eternal rest on August, 24, 2026, at age 86 in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. She was born November 10, 1939, in East Lynne, Missouri.

Helen was the fifth child of six girls and three boys born to the late Albert Clifford and Emma Marie (Preisner) Plunkett. The family moved to Peculiar, Missouri, when Helen was a young girl. As she grew up she discovered a love for learning, reading and going to the library. She was a member of the Peculiar High School Class of 1957. In later years she would speak often of her life-long friends, Bonnie and Darlene, whom she met in the 2nd grade. She loved her family, good books, reading the newspaper and spending time with her close friends.

Within the span of a single year, from age 18 to age 19, she became a wife, a mother and a widow. Before she turned 21, she was remarried and living in Belton, Missouri, with her 2nd husband and two young boys. There she met Nancy and they were friends for more than 60 years. For the past seven years Helen was a resident of John Knox Village in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

One of her first full-time jobs was as a bank teller in Grandview, Missouri. Later she worked as a tax examiner for the IRS in the Kansas City Service Center. She retired in the late-1990’s, after a 35-year career. Her last job was at the Belton branch of the Cass County Public Library where she briefly worked as a clerk.

Helen enjoyed watching Jeopardy on TV and playing the home version at family gatherings. She loved putting together jigsaw puzzles, solving the Jumble word games and working crossword puzzles. She liked playing cards, especially canasta - with other adults, but also double solitaire, war, concentration or just about any card game she could play with her kids.

Throughout her life Helen loved to travel and visit new places. It can't be said with certainty that she visited all 50 states but she surely came close to it. Her favorites were California, Florida, Hawaii and of course her home state Missouri. She enjoyed seeing numerous Caribbean islands, European capitals and Mexico and sharing her photos and souvenirs with all her friends and family members.

She is survived by two sons Terry Phillips and his wife Susan, Lee’s Summit, and Michael Butcher, Kansas City, two granddaughters Lauren Phillips and her husband Frank Norton, Kansas City, Missouri, and Anna Dowell and her husband Courtney, Louisburg, Kansas, great grandson Jaxon Dowell, great granddaughter Maevry Dowell, sisters Peggy Wahlstedt and her husband Wendell, North Richland Hills, Texas, Joyce McDowell, Belton, and Gayla Anderson, Freeman, Missouri, as well as numerous nieces and nephews and a special step-daughter and friend Sharon Rider and her husband Dale.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James “Jim” Fletcher, first husband, Paul “Harry” Phillips, her parents, brothers Elmer Plunkett, Donald Plunkett and David Plunkett, sisters Patricia Plunkett and Alberta Hight and grandson Paul Phillips.

A celebration of Helen’s life will be held at a later date. Inurnment at Clear Fork Cemetery, Garden City, Missouri. Donations, in her honor, may be made to Cure Alzheimer’s Fund.