Helen Avery Minth of St. Louis, MO passed away peacefully on Wednesday, August, 27, 2025. She was 81 years old.

Helen was a transplanted Texan.  Born in Del Rio, Texas she grew up in Abilene and Fort Worth.  Helen graduated from Paschal High School in Ft. Worth. Her family was very active in Democratic politics and as a young girl went to picnics at LBJ Ranch, sparring with the Johnson daughters about the same in age.  An excellent student she got a full scholarship to the University of Wisconsin, River Falls.  A student of the 1960’s she followed in her family’s activism in politics. She spent the summer of 1963 registering voters in Mississippi.  While working the registration drive one of the people yelled at her and the co-worker to “get down”.   What Helen thought was a car backfiring was really someone shooting at them.  She received a B.A. Degree at U.W-River Falls and MSW at U.W-Madison.

During the 1968 campaign she supported Eugene McCarthy for President. While at the Democratic Convention in Chicago she was with a group of protestors clustered together by Chicago Police wielding nightsticks. She ducked and her companion caught the blow.  Helen met her future husband, Larry, when both worked on a congressional campaign in Wisconsin. They were married in December 1972 in Eagle River, Wisconsin. She was the daughter-in-law of Arthur and Margaret Minth. Both deceased.

She was a life-long social worker, first at Central Colony for Children in Madison, Wisconsin and other stops along the way including Ft. Worth, Texas and Independence, Iowa.  Arriving in St. Louis in 1980 she was a skilled alcohol/drug counselor for Salvation Army and SSM Hospital.

In January 1997, she established the St. Louis Empowerment Center which provided services to individual who have lived experience with mental health and substance use.  She retired from the Empowerment Center in 2017. Her legacy continues at the Center to this day.

Helen is survived by her loving husband of 53 years, Larry Minth, her daughter, Sarah (Earll), son-in-law, Steve (Earll), and her grandson, Mason(Earll).

A celebration of Life and recovery will be held on Friday, September 19, at 10:30 at the St. Louis Empowerment Center on 907 Dock, St. Louis, MO 63147. Memorial contributions can be made to the St. Louis Empowerment Center or The Alzheimer’s Association.