Remembering Helen Popa

Built from contemporary reporting in The Daily News, Helen Popa's obituary, and a 2015 retrospective featuring her granddaughter Lisa Popa and Pennsylvania State Police. The supplied sources show that the case was still unresolved in 2015; this page does not name or speculate about suspects.

From Romania to Mount Union

Elena “Helen” Cucu was born in Romania in May 1906. Her obituary gives May 21, while family history reported in 2015 gives May 20. Her parents, Vascile and Elena Berley Cucu, immigrated to the United States while Helen was young. According to granddaughter Lisa Popa, Helen remained in Romania until her father returned for her when she was 14. She entered the United States through Ellis Island and came to Mount Union without speaking English.

Helen married George Popa, another Romanian immigrant. George died on May 20, 1937, at age 43 from medical conditions attributed by the family to his World War I service. Helen, then only 31, was left to raise three children ranging in age from five months to 11 years: Cornelia, Florence, and Alexander.

Work, Family, and Northside Life

Helen worked full time at the sewing factory across from her home and made handmade rugs for additional income. Her obituary records 23 years of employment with L. Greif & Sons Manufacturing in Mount Union and says she had lived in the community for about sixty years. She was of the Romanian Orthodox faith.

Lisa remembered her grandmother as energetic and hardworking. Summer visits included making nut-filled kolaches from fresh dough and nuts gathered from trees in Helen's yard, then cracked and ground by hand. The family photograph above captures that private side of her life: a grandmother at her kitchen table, holding a card made for her by one of her grandchildren.

New Year's Eve 1979

Investigators believed Helen was killed at her home at 520 North Division Street between approximately 9 p.m. and midnight on December 31, 1979. Her son-in-law, William Bard, found her body near the outside cellar entrance at about 4:40 p.m. on New Year's Day. An autopsy determined that she died from multiple injuries.

Police said robbery was the probable motive. Reporting at the time and the 2015 review state that belongings, including jewelry, were missing. Investigators also learned that the family believed a significant recent payment to Helen might have been a factor. These were investigative theories, not proof against any named person.

The Investigation

Mount Union Borough Police led the original investigation with assistance from Pennsylvania State Police. Contemporary reports describe repeated neighborhood interviews, evidence review, and follow-up on every available lead. No arrest had been made when the first week of the investigation ended.

In May 1980, Helen's son Alexander announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension and conviction of the person or persons responsible. The reward notice called the case a robbery-murder and promised confidentiality to those providing information.

Thirty-five years later, The Daily News reported that Pennsylvania State Police had renewed work on the case. Trooper Gretchen Swank, assisted by Trooper Dave Clemens, explained that investigators were re-examining the evidence with methods unavailable in 1980, including modern DNA and fingerprint technology. Lisa Popa continued to advocate for answers on behalf of her family.

What Is Known — and What Is Not

The latest detailed source supplied for this page, published January 23, 2015, described Helen Popa's murder as unsolved. It reported renewed investigative work and continuing hope within the family, but no arrest or officially identified killer. Later resolution should not be assumed without a newer statement from law enforcement or documented court records.

Helen was buried in Mount Union's I.O.O.F. Cemetery. She was survived by her three children, eight grandchildren, four sisters, and a brother. Her descendants' memories ensure that the record includes the woman who lived, worked, cooked, and raised a family in Mount Union—not only the violence that ended her life.