Obituary on Dignity Memorial web site: "Seeing is believing." For many, those words simply represent a motto. But for Helen Elma Brown, it summarized in every way who she was. She was modest, quiet and observant, taking in everything around her and always thinking before acting. She was a realist, someone who was efficient and practical in everything she did. She was a friendly person who truly cared about those around her. Helen was born on August 26, 1917 at home in Portland, Oregon. She was the daughter of John and Elma Wohlslegel. Raised in Portland, she was brought up to be tolerant and trustworthy. As a child, she learned to be conscientious, responsible and punctual. These were all traits that she would carry with her throughout her life. As a young girl, Helen was always aware of how others around her felt and this quality served her well. With a deep capacity to tolerate the feelings of others, Helen was generally able to avoid conflicts. It seemed as if Helen was the family member who was always working to keep stress at bay. Preferring a quiet environment where she could concentrate, Helen also had the ability to relate well with her family and friends. Helen was raised with six siblings. She had a brother Wesley and sisters Juanita, Mildred, Vivian, Dorothea and Betty Ann. Helen was constantly involved in activities with her family. Helen and her siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up but they deeply cared for each other and shared many life experiences over the years. Helen enjoyed learning. She always had a great memory and was particularly skilled at retaining factual information. Helen was generally quiet in class, learning best through observation. She often showed great concentration and was competent at completing the tasks at hand. Good with details, Helen was painstaking and accurate in her efforts. All of these talents culminated in a successful high school career. She graduated from Franklin High School in 1933. Helen enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite subjects and teachers. Love can't be defined but must be experienced. That was so true for Helen. On October 12, 1935 Helen married Clyde H. Brown at the Justice of the Peace in Stevenson, Washington. She was totally committed to Clyde and maintained traditional ideals about marriage. It was as if Helen naturally sensed her spouse's needs, and accepted those feelings unconditionally. Although Helen disliked conflict, she did not take flight from discord, but rather sought to preserve harmony even during the most trying times. Helen was a good mother to her children. She had "old fashioned" parental values and could handle typical family conflicts in a fair and calm manner. Because she trusted emotions, Helen was reluctant to force issues and used gentle persuasion to resolve situations. In this way she seemed to radiate an aura of warmth and caring to those around her, always thinking before acting. In addition, Helen was a master planner. No matter how hectic life around her might be, she seemed to know and track everyone's schedule. Helen was blessed with four children, one daughter Debra and sons Joel, Michael and Timothy. They were also blessed with nine grandchildren, Deann, Steven, Michael, Tye, Jennifer, Brandon, Brooke, Kristin and Tara. Helen liked to experience things first hand, in addition to simply learning about them. This quality influenced Helen's choice of leisure time activities. A methodical and patient worker, Helen preferred to set aside uninterrupted time to work on her hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were ceramics. Helen was content to sit quietly alone, enjoying her hobbies all by herself and could often be found just reading about her favorite pastimes. Due to her excellent organizational skills, Helen was a welcome addition to the professional and community organizations to which she belonged. Helen could bring established, successful methods to the discussion table, along with a generous helping of common sense. Helen was good at making and keeping schedules and never got bogged down in unnecessary details. Throughout her later years, Helen was an active member of the Rose City Yacht Club from 1956 to present. Anyone who traveled or went on vacation with Helen had smooth sailing. It was often taken for granted that she was the trip planner. She would start early and examine all of the possibilities, selecting the best and most effective options. Favorite vacations included trips to South America, Mexico, Spain, Europe, England and Africa. She had taken the time to learn about her various options and chose her course wisely. In retirement, she found new pleasure in her flowers every year. Even in retirement, Helen continued to stay in touch with her old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in the community and felt fulfilled with the opportunities retirement offered her. Helen passed away on December 30, 2009 at Providence Medical Center in Portland, Oregon from Natural causes. She is survived by her children Debra, Joel, Michael and Timothy; sister Dorothea Still; nine grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren. Services were held at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home in Portland, Oregon on Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 12:00pm. Helen was laid to rest in Lincoln Memorial Park Mausoleum. It is said that some people can't see the forest for the trees. Helen was able to focus on each individual tree, tending to its needs, thus making the forest stronger as a whole. Helen was a trustworthy, pragmatic and sympathetic person, the kind of woman to whom everyone was drawn. She was thorough and practical. Helen Brown was very literal with her words. You always knew where you stood with Helen. She will be missed.