My Mother and Eternal Friend

HELEN WILSON

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Helen Jean Steele Wilson 1928 ~ 2011 Our beloved wife, mother, grandma, sister, friend - Helen Jean Steele Wilson, 82 passed away Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at her home after a courageous battle with cancer. Even with her cancer she was an inspiration to us all, saying life was wonderful and worth living. Helen was born Oct, 20, 1928 in Goshen, Utah to Raymond Duane Steele and Golden Blanche Sorensen. Helen loved growing up in the town of Goshen where her beloved father was mayor, educator and author of "Goshen Valley History". Like her father, she embraced learning and excelled in reading, writing, penmanship and spelling bees. She had fond memories of ice skating on Howlers Pond and Goshen Dam, enjoying Easter Egg Hunts on Sand Hill with her family, and frequenting Milo's confectionary store with friends. One of her special memories was working side by side with her father in the alfalfa fields on their 40 acres in Genola. Helen graduated with high honors from Payson High School in 1946. She attended BYU where she was a member of the BYU volleyball team. She married Shirley Wilson September 9, 1950. Their marriage was solemnized in the Manti LDS Temple June 26, 1952. They are the parents of seven children. Helen's first love was her family -devoting herself to homemaking and raising her seven children. Later in life, her greatest joy was being a grandma, loving and supporting her 32 grandchildren. She was a talented homemaker and beautiful seamstress. She was resourceful and hard working and capable of tackling any job such as bookkeeping for her husband's upholstery business, gardening, canning fruit, painting the house inside and out while keeping it clean and attractive. Mom and Dad enjoyed traveling together throughout many parts of the world. They recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Dads love and devotion to our mother will always be remembered. During her life, among her many talents and hobbies, Mom embraced music. She played the piano and was 1st chair clarinetist in High School. She sang with the Goshen Singing Mothers at the age of 12 and sang most of her adult life in church and civic choirs, including La Nesta Chorus, and Payson Civic Choral. Helen was skilled at short hand, recording patriarchal blessings for the Stake Patriarch's at age fifteen. Before she started her family, she was a longtime teller and stenographer at First Security Bank in Payson. After her children were raised, she worked at Payson High School for 14 years as a counselor secretary and later as a front office attendance secretary. In 2002 Helen was awarded the "PHS Distinguished Alumni Award". She was a longtime member of the Payson Civic Jr. Cultus Club. Helen served in many church callings, including Visiting Teacher, Primary President, Relief Society 1st Counselor and teacher, Young Women Advisor, Primary Pianist and Compassionate Service Leader. Mom loved life and the people in it. She was a friend to all. She had unconditional love and possessed the ability to make a person feel loved and special. Mom was smart, wise and witty and had a fun personality; she was a good sport and laughed easily. We shall miss her sense of humor and clever sayings. Mom loved reading the scriptures. Her faith and commitment to the gospel made her a source of spiritual strength for all of us. She was and is a faithful daughter of God with a strong testimony of Jesus Christ who valued her membership in the LDS church throughout her beautiful life. Survivors include: her husband, Shirley, Payson; children, David S. (Colleen), Santaquin; Dennis R. (Michelle), Cottonwood Heights; Diana (Dan) Steele, Elk Ridge; Lisa (Terry) Montague, St. George; Fran (James) Whitchurch, Half Moon Bay, CA; Doug (Jill), Payson; Kent (Loni), Spanish Fork; 32 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; siblings, Paul Duane Steele, Payson; Dorothy Blanche Wilkenson Burdick, Salt Lake City; step-siblings, Elora Hilderbrand, Mississippi; Carol Nielson, Chico, CA. She was preceded in death by: her parents; siblings, Louis Faye Rohrbaugh, Evelyn Elaine Done Pazzaglia; step-siblings, George Burgi, Eugene Webb; one grandson and one great-granddaughter. Funeral services will be Saturday, January 29, 2011, 11:00 a.m., in the Mtn. View 5th Ward Chapel, 789 East Arrowhead Trail (700 North), Payson. Friends may call at the Walker Mortuary, 587 South 100 West, Payson, Friday, 6-8:00 p.m. or at the church Saturday, 9:45-10:45 a.m. Burial will be in the Payson City Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at: www.walkerfamilymortuary.com.