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→Background
Derr was born to Edward and Bessie Clark in Clarks, a village in Merrick County, [[Nebraska]], near Grand Island]] in east central portion of that state. She graduated from Rinard High School in Rinard in Calhoun County in western [[Iowa]]. Thereafter, she graduated from [[Iowa State University]] at Ames.<ref name=obit/>
Derr was born to Edward and Bessie Clark in Clarks, a village in Merrick County, [[Nebraska]], near Grand Island]] in east central portion of that state. She graduated from Rinard High School in Rinard in Calhoun County in western [[Iowa]]. Thereafter, she graduated from [[Iowa State University]] at Ames.<ref name=obit/>
Helen Clark married Harold J. Derr (September 7, 1917 – February 7, 1992),<ref name=ssdi>{{cite web|url=http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi|title=Social Security Death Index|publisher=ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com|accessdate=June 26, 2011; under pay wall}}</ref> later a [[forester]] with the United States Forest Service in [[Pineville, Louisiana|Pineville]], Louisiana. The couple had three children.<ref name=obit/
Helen Clark married Harold J. Derr (September 7, 1917 – February 7, 1992),<ref name=ssdi>{{cite web|url=http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi|title=Social Security Death Index|publisher=ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com|accessdate=June 26, 2011; under pay wall}}</ref> later a [[forester]] with the United States Forest Service in [[Pineville, Louisiana|Pineville]], Louisiana. The couple had three children.<ref name=obit/>
When their older son, Russell Edward "Russ" Derr (March 27, 1947 – October 13, 2010),<ref name=ssdi/> was born, the Derrs were living in [[Jackson]], [[Mississippi]]. A landscape designer, Russell Derr died of lymphoma at the age of sixty-three in Burbank, [[California]].<ref>Russell Edward "Rusty" Derr Obituary, ''The Alexandria Daily Town Talk,'' November 3, 2010.</ref> Harold and Helen had a daughter, Mary D. Sharkey of Ball, which adjoins Pineville, who is married to Richard Powell Sharkey, the managing editor of ''The Town Talk.'' Another son of Harold and Helen Derr, Allan Derr, and his wife, Betsy Derr, live in Villa Park, [[Illinois]]. Derr had seven grandchildren and a great-grandson. She had one sibling, a sister, Margaret Louise Dorr of[Cedar Rapids, Iowa.<ref name=obit/> The sisters had similar married surnames, one with an "e" and the other with an "o".<ref>Net Detective People Search</ref>
When their older son, Russell Edward "Russ" Derr (March 27, 1947 – October 13, 2010),<ref name=ssdi/> was born, the Derrs were living in [[Jackson]], [[Mississippi]]. A landscape designer, Russell Derr died of lymphoma at the age of sixty-three in Burbank, [[California]].<ref>Russell Edward "Rusty" Derr Obituary, ''The Alexandria Daily Town Talk,'' November 3, 2010.</ref> Harold and Helen had a daughter, Mary D. Sharkey of Ball, which adjoins Pineville, who is married to Richard Powell Sharkey, the managing editor of ''The Town Talk.'' Another son of Harold and Helen Derr, Allan Derr, and his wife, Betsy Derr, live in Villa Park, [[Illinois]]. Derr had seven grandchildren and a great-grandson. She had one sibling, a sister, Margaret Louise Dorr of[Cedar Rapids, Iowa.<ref name=obit/> The sisters had similar married surnames, one with an "e" and the other with an "o".<ref>Net Detective People Search</ref>
==Journalism career==
==Journalism career==
Derr also reported on educational developments for ''The Town Talk,' including school [[Segregation|desegregation]] issues in the late 1960s. She covered an address given in 1966 at the Rapides Parish Coliseum by [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] In 1969, she covered former [[U.S. President]] [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]'s visit to the First [[Baptist]] Church of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]], Louisiana, where Johnson's maternal great-grandfather, George Washington Baines, had been the founding pastor in 1848. In the spring of 1976, Derr interviewed former [[Governor]] [[Jimmy Carter]] of [[Georgia]] in his presidential campaign stop in Pineville. Carter kissed her on the cheek as the interview closed.<ref name=derr>{{cite web|url=https://archive.is/20140424032025/http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20110623/NEWS01/106230360/Helen-Derr-co-founder-Friendship-House-Alexandria-dies-92?odyssey|title=Helen Derr, co-founder of Friendship in Alexandria, dies at 92 |publisher=''The Alexandria Daily Town Talk'' |accessdate=June 26, 2011 }}</ref>
Derr also reported on educational developments for ''The Town Talk,' including school [[Segregation|desegregation]] issues in the late 1960s. She covered an address given in 1966 at the Rapides Parish Coliseum by [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] In 1969, she covered former [[U.S. President]] [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]'s visit to the First [[Baptist]] Church of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]], Louisiana, where Johnson's maternal great-grandfather, George Washington Baines, had been the founding pastor in 1848. In the spring of 1976, Derr interviewed former [[Governor]] [[Jimmy Carter]] of [[Georgia]] in his presidential campaign stop in Pineville. Carter kissed her on the cheek as the interview closed.<ref name=derr>{{cite web|url=https://archive.is/20140424032025/http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20110623/NEWS01/106230360/Helen-Derr-co-founder-Friendship-House-Alexandria-dies-92?odyssey|title=Helen Derr, co-founder of Friendship in Alexandria, dies at 92 |publisher=''The Alexandria Daily Town Talk'' |accessdate=June 26, 2011 }}</ref>
In 1967, Derr won the national award for "Excellence in Religion Reporting" from the Religious Public Relations Council. Only two newspapers in the country were recognized by the group for their religion coverage that year, ''The Town Talk'' and ''[[The New York Times]]''.<ref name=derr/> In July 1977, Derr retired from ''The Town Talk'' at the age of fifty-eight. She then taught journalism at [[Southern Baptist]]-affiliated [[Louisiana College]] in Pineville and wrote for the [[Roman Catholic]] publication, ''The Church Today''.<ref name=derr/>
In 1967, Derr won the national award for "Excellence in Religion Reporting" from the Religious Public Relations Council. Only two newspapers in the country were recognized by the group for their religion coverage that year, ''The Town Talk'' and ''[[The New York Times]]''.<ref name=derr/> In July 1977, Derr retired from ''The Town Talk'' at the age of fifty-eight. She then taught journalism at [[Southern Baptist]]-affiliated [[Louisiana College]] in Pineville and wrote for the [[Roman Catholic]] publication, ''The Church Today''.<ref name=derr/>
On December 22, 1996, Alexandria Mayor [[Ned Randolph]] declared "Helen Derr Day" for her contributions to the community.<ref name=obit/>
On December 22, 1996, Alexandria Mayor [[Ned Randolph]] declared "Helen Derr Day" for her contributions to the community.<ref name=obit/>
Derr had resided most of her life with her husband in the Paradise community in northern Rapides Parish. Some years after his death she relocated to Regency House in Alexandria, where she died at the age of ninety-two. Services were held on June 25 at Woodland Presbyterian Church. She is interred beside her husband at Greenwood Memorial Park in Pineville.<ref name=obit/>
Derr had resided most of her life with her husband in the Paradise community in northern Rapides Parish. Some years after his death she relocated to Regency House in Alexandria, where she died at the age of ninety-two. Services were held on June 25 at Woodland Presbyterian Church. She is interred beside her husband at Greenwood Memorial Park in Pineville.<ref name=obit/>
[[Category:Mississippi]]
[[Category:Mississippi]]
[[Category:Journalists]]
[[Category:Journalists]]
[[Category:Educators]]
[[Category:Presbyterians]]
[[Category:Presbyterians]]