Helen Gunther (Jelena Kozkarov)

Mrs. Helen Gunther (Jelena Kozkarov), age 78, of Dallas passed away July 27, 2011. Services will be held Sunday, July 31 at 2:30 pm in the Chapel of West Cobb Funeral Home and Crematory, Marietta with Reverend Miladin Blagojevic officiating. The family will receive friends from 1:30 until the services begin. Interment will follow at Cheatham Hill Memorial Park, Marietta.



Jelena (Helen) Kozkarov was born to a Serbian Orthodox family in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (Serbia). Even though she was conceived in Akron, Ohio, her mother yearned to go back home to Yugoslavia while being pregnant. Due to the fact her father was already an American citizen working for the American Red Cross, Jelena was granted dual citizenship at birth. At the age of 6, World War II began and herself, mom and brother were not able to leave back to the United States. By age 18, she had to make a very tough decision to maintain her US citizenship by leaving her beloved homeland, reluctantly. In hopes of a better life, she arrived in New York City after crossing the Atlantic via an Italian ship from Treiste, Italy alone at 18.



Jelena settled in Akron, Ohio where she married her American husband and had two children. Many years later, she moved with her children to Chicago and was remarried in 1977. The Gunthers then moved to Marietta in 1992 to be near her son and daughter.



Helen had been a member in Serbian churches in Akron, Ohio; Libertyville, IL and here in Atlanta where she was a member of the Saints Peter and Paul Serbian Orthodox Church of Atlanta.



Even after all the years living in the United States, Jelena was ALWAYS A SERB AT HEART!! On Sunday, she will be honored by a traditional Serbian memorial service that she would love.



She is preceded in death by her husband, Herman Gunther.



Survivors include:

Son and Daughter-in-Law: David and Peni Lemley of Kennesaw

Daughter: Dr. Debby Porter and her significant other, John Johnson of Marietta

Grandchildren: Cyndi Haygood and Nicole Lemley

Great-Grandchildren: Blake Haygood and Kaylee Haygood

The Merisma Family: Antoinette, Karl, Jesse, Sonja, Patrick, Ra’Quayle, Martina, Malique and Kalaina.



This very special family has been added to our life. The Merisma family was dedicated and unconditionally loving to Helen. They were responsible for the life and well being of Helen as her personal caretakers in their family home for 24 hours a day, seven days a week since April 2007. There will never be enough words to describe the gratitude, love and respect we owe to the Merisma family. Our families have been bonded in our hearts with our memories for life.



Flowers are welcome or donations may be made in Helen Gunther’s memory to the Saints Peter and Paul Serbian Orthodox Church of Atlanta, PO Box 466036, Lawrenceville, GA 30042.