Helen Esther Shelby, 91, passed away 1/24/2016 at her daughter's home in Boise.
Helen was born in Anthony, KS on 10/23/1924 to Everett & Winifred Gunn. She nearly died before it was discovered she could only digest goat's milk. For the next two years, whenever the family travelled, her father would strap a goat pen to their car and bring it along.
As a child Helen lived oversees for 5 years when her parents participated in the USA's relief effort in war torn Armenia & Albania. When the family returned to the US, her father farmed and Helen attended school in Hutchinson, KS.
During WWII Helen attended Hutchison Jr. College to become a teacher. She only taught one year before meeting and marrying Edward Linck who was enlisted in the Navy. They eventually settled in Idaho and had three children together: Robert, Carol and Patricia.
After Eddie's death from brain cancer, Helen married Henry Witte in 1963. They had one daughter, Beverly. Helen lost her second husband in 1974 when Hank died of pancreatic cancer.
Helen felt blessed to meet and marry Harley Shelby after that. She became stepmother to his grown daughters, Gloria and Delores; he became a second father to Beverly. They were married 24 years at the time of his death from lung cancer.
During her lifetime, in addition to being a wife & mother, Helen was employed as the Washington County Clerk, secretary of the Soil Conservation District, bookkeeper of Bryant’s Farm Equipment, an award-winning Avon lady, and owner of Helen's Brookside Antiques.
Despite living through the Great Depression, wars, family loss, breast cancer, and finally congestive heart failure, Helen was never bitter and never lost her spark or her interest in life.
One of these interests was a life-long love of traveling. Her most recent trip was just this fall to Leavenworth, WA with Pat. Helen visited Europe and many of the states and major cities of the U.S. Her fondest memories though were of her and Pat's visit to Scotland in 2009. The far northern reaches of this country were the birthplace of her Gunn heritage and she delighted in the sites and history of the region.
Helen was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, sister (Mildred Sloan), brother (Robert Gunn), daughter (Carol Scott), and son (Travis Brandon aka Robert Linck).
She is survived by her daughter, Pat Alexander, mother of Jennifer and Brian Gorman; daughter, Bev Witte (Steve) Mech, mother of Trevor; stepdaughter, Gloria Herd, mother of Will and Mike; stepdaughter, Delores (Phil) Mendiguren, mother of Shelby, Julie, Nick and Andy; and numerous great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Helen wished to thank her medical providers, especially Dr. John Gamboa & his staff at Cancer Center of Idaho, Dr. Afshin Mofid, Jessica Hadfield NP, and caregivers: Anna Guido and Maria Marin.
A celebration of Helen's life will be held at Thomason Funeral Home in Weiser at 11:30 a.m. on February 6, 2016. The viewing will begin at 9 a.m. that morning.
Helen was born in Anthony, KS on 10/23/1924 to Everett & Winifred Gunn. She nearly died before it was discovered she could only digest goat's milk. For the next two years, whenever the family travelled, her father would strap a goat pen to their car and bring it along.
As a child Helen lived oversees for 5 years when her parents participated in the USA's relief effort in war torn Armenia & Albania. When the family returned to the US, her father farmed and Helen attended school in Hutchinson, KS.
During WWII Helen attended Hutchison Jr. College to become a teacher. She only taught one year before meeting and marrying Edward Linck who was enlisted in the Navy. They eventually settled in Idaho and had three children together: Robert, Carol and Patricia.
After Eddie's death from brain cancer, Helen married Henry Witte in 1963. They had one daughter, Beverly. Helen lost her second husband in 1974 when Hank died of pancreatic cancer.
Helen felt blessed to meet and marry Harley Shelby after that. She became stepmother to his grown daughters, Gloria and Delores; he became a second father to Beverly. They were married 24 years at the time of his death from lung cancer.
During her lifetime, in addition to being a wife & mother, Helen was employed as the Washington County Clerk, secretary of the Soil Conservation District, bookkeeper of Bryant’s Farm Equipment, an award-winning Avon lady, and owner of Helen's Brookside Antiques.
Despite living through the Great Depression, wars, family loss, breast cancer, and finally congestive heart failure, Helen was never bitter and never lost her spark or her interest in life.
One of these interests was a life-long love of traveling. Her most recent trip was just this fall to Leavenworth, WA with Pat. Helen visited Europe and many of the states and major cities of the U.S. Her fondest memories though were of her and Pat's visit to Scotland in 2009. The far northern reaches of this country were the birthplace of her Gunn heritage and she delighted in the sites and history of the region.
Helen was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, sister (Mildred Sloan), brother (Robert Gunn), daughter (Carol Scott), and son (Travis Brandon aka Robert Linck).
She is survived by her daughter, Pat Alexander, mother of Jennifer and Brian Gorman; daughter, Bev Witte (Steve) Mech, mother of Trevor; stepdaughter, Gloria Herd, mother of Will and Mike; stepdaughter, Delores (Phil) Mendiguren, mother of Shelby, Julie, Nick and Andy; and numerous great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Helen wished to thank her medical providers, especially Dr. John Gamboa & his staff at Cancer Center of Idaho, Dr. Afshin Mofid, Jessica Hadfield NP, and caregivers: Anna Guido and Maria Marin.
A celebration of Helen's life will be held at Thomason Funeral Home in Weiser at 11:30 a.m. on February 6, 2016. The viewing will begin at 9 a.m. that morning.
Helen Esther Shelby, 91, passed away 1/24/2016 at her daughter's home in Boise.
Helen was born in Anthony, KS on 10/23/1924 to Everett & Winifred Gunn. She nearly died before it was discovered she could only digest goat's milk. For the next two years, whenever the family travelled, her father would strap a goat pen to their car and bring it along.
As a child Helen lived oversees for 5 years when her parents participated in the USA's relief effort in war torn Armenia & Albania. When the family returned to the US, her father farmed and Helen attended school in Hutchinson, KS.
During WWII Helen attended Hutchison Jr. College to become a teacher. She only taught one year before meeting and marrying Edward Linck who was enlisted in the Navy. They eventually settled in Idaho and had three children together: Robert, Carol and Patricia.
After Eddie's death from brain cancer, Helen married Henry Witte in 1963. They had one daughter, Beverly. Helen lost her second husband in 1974 when Hank died of pancreatic cancer.
Helen felt blessed to meet and marry Harley Shelby after that. She became stepmother to his grown daughters, Gloria and Delores; he became a second father to Beverly. They were married 24 years at the time of his death from lung cancer.
During her lifetime, in addition to being a wife & mother, Helen was employed as the Washington County Clerk, secretary of the Soil Conservation District, bookkeeper of Bryant’s Farm Equipment, an award-winning Avon lady, and owner of Helen's Brookside Antiques.
Despite living through the Great Depression, wars, family loss, breast cancer, and finally congestive heart failure, Helen was never bitter and never lost her spark or her interest in life.
One of these interests was a life-long love of traveling. Her most recent trip was just this fall to Leavenworth, WA with Pat. Helen visited Europe and many of the states and major cities of the U.S. Her fondest memories though were of her and Pat's visit to Scotland in 2009. The far northern reaches of this country were the birthplace of her Gunn heritage and she delighted in the sites and history of the region.
Helen was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, sister (Mildred Sloan), brother (Robert Gunn), daughter (Carol Scott), and son (Travis Brandon aka Robert Linck).
She is survived by her daughter, Pat Alexander, mother of Jennifer and Brian Gorman; daughter, Bev Witte (Steve) Mech, mother of Trevor; stepdaughter, Gloria Herd, mother of Will and Mike; stepdaughter, Delores (Phil) Mendiguren, mother of Shelby, Julie, Nick and Andy; and numerous great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Helen wished to thank her medical providers, especially Dr. John Gamboa & his staff at Cancer Center of Idaho, Dr. Afshin Mofid, Jessica Hadfield NP, and caregivers: Anna Guido and Maria Marin.
A celebration of Helen's life will be held at Thomason Funeral Home in Weiser at 11:30 a.m. on February 6, 2016. The viewing will begin at 9 a.m. that morning.
Helen was born in Anthony, KS on 10/23/1924 to Everett & Winifred Gunn. She nearly died before it was discovered she could only digest goat's milk. For the next two years, whenever the family travelled, her father would strap a goat pen to their car and bring it along.
As a child Helen lived oversees for 5 years when her parents participated in the USA's relief effort in war torn Armenia & Albania. When the family returned to the US, her father farmed and Helen attended school in Hutchinson, KS.
During WWII Helen attended Hutchison Jr. College to become a teacher. She only taught one year before meeting and marrying Edward Linck who was enlisted in the Navy. They eventually settled in Idaho and had three children together: Robert, Carol and Patricia.
After Eddie's death from brain cancer, Helen married Henry Witte in 1963. They had one daughter, Beverly. Helen lost her second husband in 1974 when Hank died of pancreatic cancer.
Helen felt blessed to meet and marry Harley Shelby after that. She became stepmother to his grown daughters, Gloria and Delores; he became a second father to Beverly. They were married 24 years at the time of his death from lung cancer.
During her lifetime, in addition to being a wife & mother, Helen was employed as the Washington County Clerk, secretary of the Soil Conservation District, bookkeeper of Bryant’s Farm Equipment, an award-winning Avon lady, and owner of Helen's Brookside Antiques.
Despite living through the Great Depression, wars, family loss, breast cancer, and finally congestive heart failure, Helen was never bitter and never lost her spark or her interest in life.
One of these interests was a life-long love of traveling. Her most recent trip was just this fall to Leavenworth, WA with Pat. Helen visited Europe and many of the states and major cities of the U.S. Her fondest memories though were of her and Pat's visit to Scotland in 2009. The far northern reaches of this country were the birthplace of her Gunn heritage and she delighted in the sites and history of the region.
Helen was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, sister (Mildred Sloan), brother (Robert Gunn), daughter (Carol Scott), and son (Travis Brandon aka Robert Linck).
She is survived by her daughter, Pat Alexander, mother of Jennifer and Brian Gorman; daughter, Bev Witte (Steve) Mech, mother of Trevor; stepdaughter, Gloria Herd, mother of Will and Mike; stepdaughter, Delores (Phil) Mendiguren, mother of Shelby, Julie, Nick and Andy; and numerous great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Helen wished to thank her medical providers, especially Dr. John Gamboa & his staff at Cancer Center of Idaho, Dr. Afshin Mofid, Jessica Hadfield NP, and caregivers: Anna Guido and Maria Marin.
A celebration of Helen's life will be held at Thomason Funeral Home in Weiser at 11:30 a.m. on February 6, 2016. The viewing will begin at 9 a.m. that morning.
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