Helen Karvan

“She lived to 97 years old as our own real life Rosie the Riveter.”

– Daniel Janies, Carol Grotnes Belk Distinguished Professor of Bioinformatics and Genomics, College of Computing and Informatics

Helen Karvan (née Verbus), remembered by her great-nephew, Daniel Janies

Great Aunt Helen Karvan worked at Ford’s Willow Run Aircraft plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

From 1942-45, the Willow Run manufacturing complex mass produced bombers, especially the B-24 Liberator. Or, as my Aunt Helen put it, “Bombers to Bomb Hitler.”