posted 09-07-2017 10:42 AM               

Richard and his siblings wrote this tribute:

In Cub Scouts, she taught us how to make planes with moving wings, collected feathers from birds and made Eagle Dance costumes for the whole family. In between well deserved spankings, she taught us to build wood canoes, wooden forts and tree houses. As we grew older, she introduced us to spook houses for Halloween where she was always the scary witch brewing up a cauldron of wondrous things for us kids to enjoy. Her house and kitchen were always open to the neighborhood kids where she hosted weekend movie and game nights. Growing up in Nassau Bay Texas, we brought home snakes, birds, lizards, and any other animals that seemed sick, and Mom would help us nurse them to health... or taxidermy them if we were not successful.

In short, Mom expanded our minds, taught us that we could be anything we wanted to be, and filled our home and hearts with love.

While she would say her greatest accomplishment was raising three great kids... and a fourth that was just OK... not letting us know who was the fourth... she was also an accomplished artist and pottery maker, with a Masters Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Houston. "Helen's Workshop" paid for the college educations of her kids (by providing summer jobs), and many of the local kids living nearby that needed summer employment. She taught painting and pottery, and could usually be found late at night in the garage working over a fiery hot kiln.

Her projects and community leadership remain an inspiration to so many. In Enid, OK, Helen co-founded Leonardo's Discovery Warehouse which continues to educate and inspire future generations of kids throughout Oklahoma and beyond.

At 87 years young, she is greatly loved and missed by her kids and grandkids...