New Haven Mayor to honor former Clerk-Treasurer, Helen Purvis, head of 100th birthday.
City of New Haven news release:
New Haven Mayor to Honor Former Clerk-Treasurer Ahead of 100th Birthday
New Haven, Indiana (May 14, 2025) — Cake and candles are birthday staples, but Helen Purvis is about to receive much more on her big day.
Born on May 16, 1925, Helen is about to turn 100 years old. Having served as New Haven’s Clerk-Treasurer for nine years starting in 1977, Mayor Steve McMichael will present Helen with a proclamation at her birthday party on Thursday.
“Helen Purvis is a real New Haven Treasure,” said Mayor McMichael. “It’s my honor and privilege to celebrate Helen’s 100th birthday with her. Her dedication to the New Haven Community serves as an example of a true public servant for those who have come after her.”
Despite the milestone and her excitement for her party, Helen still feels like herself. “[It feels] no different than normal right now,” she said.
But what’s normal for Helen might look different to others, especially fellow centenarians. She’s happy to try almost any new experience, even riding in a horse-drawn carriage in her wheelchair, in the rain. In the past, she took up bowling and golfing. She’s always been an avid card player, still enjoying a game of Bridge or Poker.
Aside from her hobbies, Helen had a long and varied career, working as a billing clerk and then a secretary with the naval training department in the West Lafayette area in the ‘40s. She later went on to run a local drug store alongside her husband Charles, to which she attributes her successful campaign to become clerk-treasurer. The choice to get into municipal work was a natural one. “It just seemed to be what I was made up to do,” Helen said.
Her love for the community and its people is evident in the groups she participated in, serving as a volunteer of the Allen-Wells Chapter American Red Cross. She also held memberships with the New Haven Development Corporation, New Haven Women’s Club, the New Haven Republican Central Committee, and more.
It’s through all of these experiences and many others that she’s met so many people along the way.
Going around Ashton Creek Health & Rehabilitation Center, Helen has no shortage of love and friendship. All week, residents and employees alike have stopped Helen to wish her a happy birthday, some bringing cards and many offering hugs. Helen is somewhat of a celebrity there, as Ashton Creek employees believe she’s their oldest current resident. With four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, Helen also has plenty of loved ones coming to visit her, and she enjoys every moment. She takes joy in helping those she cares for. “[My relatives] will come to me and ask me questions about different things. So that makes you feel good that you know some things and can help them. I try to do what I can,” she said.
After nearly 100 years, Helen has faced plenty of challenges, especially limitations that come with aging, but she hasn’t let them stop her. Her sense of humor is still going strong. “She wants on her cake, ‘thank God I made it. Now what?’” said Helen’s daughter Patti.
While she doesn’t have any special secrets to living a long life, she does have advice for those who want to live their very best lives. “If you don’t know how to do something, be able to admit that you don’t. … Don’t be afraid to ask somebody for help,” she said.
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