Marilynn McTague

Marilynn is a married mother of four and grandmother of five currently living in Lafayette, Indiana. She has experience in owning her own business, sales, and secretarial work, and thus has gained extensive skills in effectively communicating with all types of people. A first-hand experience caring for her mother gave her practical knowledge about caregiving.

When Marilynn’s mother’s health began to decline, it became apparent that she needed help. Since she did not want to go to a nursing home, Marilynn and her siblings decided they would care for their mother in her own home. As their mother’s health quickly continued to weaken, they began hospice care for her until she passed on ten days later.

It was then that Marilynn began to realize the importance of providing a caregiver for individuals like her mother. She had volunteered at Caregiver Companion for two years when she was asked by the director to begin working full time for Caregiver Companion. She has been employed at Caregiver Companion for nine years matching volunteers with people like her mother who want to stay in their own homes for as long as possible.

Helen Klemme

Helen is the director of Caregiver Companion. She is the youngest of six children. She was born in Tippecanoe County, raised on a farm in Benton County and in White County, and presently resides in West Lafayette, Indiana. She has a B.S. and M.S. in Business Education from Indiana State University. Helen taught high school for sixteen years, was employed in full time church work for eight years, then spent nine years working part-time in Adult Faith Education.

In July 1999 Sister Veronica Baumgartner, CSJ from Tipton, Indiana, hired Helen at Caregiver Companion. Two months later Helen’s mother suffered a massive stroke. All five of her siblings and her in-laws were instrumental in keeping their mother at home. Her sister Joan was the full time caregiver. When Helen was not at work, she helped care for her mother. For seven and a half years her mother was unable to talk, walk, or use her right side. This provided many challenges for her mother as well as all those involved.

Watching her sister, and becoming involved with caregiving herself, Helen experienced the struggles, disappointments, frustrations, smiles, joys, rewards, trials, and triumphs of caregiving. Helen began to truly understand the life of a caregiver and started to jot down thoughts and prayers, which led to a book entitled Caregiver Psalms. This book is available for purchase by contacting the Lafayette Caregiver Companion office.

Jamie Vonderahe

Jamie has worked with Caregiver Companion since July 2008. She was born and raised in Kokomo, Indiana and has lived there all of her life. She attended Purdue University and obtained a degree in Organizational Leadership and Supervision.

One day when talking with her sister on the phone, Jamie shared how happy she was to work with nonprofits as a bookkeeper, but her deeper desire was to work with a nonprofit at a more meaningful level. At the time, she didn’t see a way for that to become possible. That same day Sister Veronica Baumgartner CSJ, who rented one of the five offices in the same building, walked by Jamie’s door. A few seconds later Sister Veronica came back to Jamie’s office and asked if she was interested in working for Caregiver Companion. Jamie’s desire had become a reality. After an interview she accepted the position as Coordinator of the Tipton office.

She feels blessed to have the opportunity to be of service to relieve caregivers and to assist the ill, frail, and disabled to remain in their homes. She has met and continues to meet some amazing people who inspire her.