Pauline Clark

Delpha Pauline Clark, daughter of the late Noel and Verba Helums, was born April 22, 1933, in Wright County, Missouri, and passed away July 1, 2018, at Cox Health in Springfield, Missouri. She was 85 years, 2 months, 9 days of age.

Pauline grew up in the Norwood community and went to school at Walker School until the 8th grade. She then moved to California and married Roy Cochran on July 15, 1948. After Roy passed away, Pauline married Lawrence James Clark.

Pauline kept foster children for many years and greatly enjoyed taking care of them. She also loved running her café, P&R Café, Pawn Shop, and Emporium. She was a truly great cook. She especially enjoyed Saturday nights when she would close down and then open back up for the guys to come and play music, often times until 1:00 or 2:00 AM. She also enjoyed sharing delicious meals together with family and friends. She ran several other businesses in Norwood throughout the years. Later in life, she enjoyed playing Bingo. She and her friends at the nursing home would often be hear saying, “It’s time to play Bango!”

Besides her parents, Pauline was preceded in death by her first husband, Roy Cochran, her second husband, Lawrence James Clark, one daughter, Karen Cochran, two brothers, James Robert “Bob” Helums and Roy “Bud” Helums, two sisters, Ruby Phillips and Wanda Helums, four brothers-in-law, Raymond Jenkins, Thomas Fisk, Raymond Cochran, John Dailey, three sisters-in-law, Milly Helums, Geneva Cochran, and Butch Dailey, one nephew, Mike Jenkins, and one foster son, Mack Jr. Richards.

She is survived by one son, Larry Cochran of Norwood, Missouri, three sisters, Faye Baker and her husband, Roger, of Visalia, California, Shirley Jenkins of Nevada, Missouri, and Thelma Fisk of Norwood, Missouri, one brother-in-law, Ben Phillips of Norwood, Missouri, and one sister-in-law, Regina Helums, nineteen nieces and nephews, several great nieces and great nephews, thirty-two foster kids including one special foster son, Nathan Patrick Smith, several cousins and other relatives and many friends who will greatly miss her.