2I.  Helen Margaret Linz was born in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A., on Thursday, October 18, 1928. Leroy Cooper was born in Baltimore on Tuesday, March 29, 1927, and died in Baltimore on October 6, 2001. He died of congestive heart failure. They were married in Sacred Heart Church, Baltimore, Maryland, in June, 1948. She took the name Helen Margaret Cooper. They were divorced. He was the brother of Dorothy Cooper, wife of Helen's brother, John. She is the daughter of Conrad Julius and Anna Mary (Telljohann) Linz. He is the son of Clarence Dewey and Emma Viola (Folks) Cooper. They had no children.

Her second marriage was to Anthony Walter Debinski in Baltimore on Saturday, February 1, 1958. She took the name Helen Margaret Debinski. They were divorced. He was born in Baltimore on Tuesday, February 16, 1932. He is the son of Anthony Walter and Helen Margreta (Ziarnowska) Debinski. They had two children:

Her third marriage was to Jerry Liebowitz in 1975. She took the name Helen Margaret Liebowitz. They were divorced in 1976. They had no children.

Her fourth marriage was to John Addison Slaughter in Towson, Maryland, on Saturday, December 9, 1978. She took the name Helen Margaret Slaughter. He was born in Trappe, Maryland, on Thursday, June 8, 1922. He is the son of John Addison and Agnes (Baker) Slaughter. They had no children.

After the births of four sons in succession, the arrival of Helen was a particular joy to her father. And since her youngest sister was already six years old, there were few hand-me-down items available so she had many pretty, new clothes to wear. Helen liked pretty clothes. When it was possible, she was a fairy princess for Halloween. And her appearance was not unnoticed: she won a neighborhood swimsuit contest at 16. However, there were limits. While her sisters Betty and Kitty both played the fife in the school drum and bugle corp, and brother Bucky (Charles) played the bugle, her mother would not let Helen be a majorette with the group because the skirts were too short.

Helen (Linz) Cooper, ca. 1951

After she and Roy Cooper were married, their problem finding an apartment in that post-war time was solved by Fred Kram, the local fruit and vegetable huckster, who was able to rent to them. Helen began teaching in 1951, spending about five years at Our Lady of Fatima Parish School, five years in public school, and about another five at Visitation Academy, leaving there in 1975. Of course, she took several years off to have her two children.

Helen Slaughter Christmas 1999

Presently Helen works part time as a secretary and enjoys entertaining her many friends and relatives. She enjoys and excels at cooking and maintains a remarkable collection of recipes.

• Personal interviews