She is the reason for my obsession for family history. My great-aunt was Helen Elizabeth (Pate) Ross. 

Birth:	Feb. 22, 1925 Clinton DeWitt County Illinois, USA
Death:	Aug. 10, 2008 Maryville Madison County Illinois, USA
Helen was a homemaker whose greatest joy and love was her family. She had a passion for genealogy and had published six books based on her research. She was always excited when she found a "new" cousin. She was a very positive person who had an effect on the life of everyone she came in contact with. She was married to her husband Jim for 61 years and had three children, eight grandchildren and 6 great- grandchildren. She had friends all over the country because of her genealogy work. People who were researching their families were always glad to find her because she was a goldmine of information. She would have not wanted us to be sad, but celebrate her life as she celebrated her ancestors. Thank you, Auntie, for all your hard work and dedication. I am keeping your research and your story alive.