Published in the Skagit Valley Herald, Mount Vernon, Wa August 26, 2012
Helen Louise Cowling, 95, passed away peacefully August 12, 2012, in Seattle.
Helen was born Jan. 29th, 1917, and grew up in Kahoka, Missouri, eldest daughter of Harrod and Nelle Hiller.
Graduating from Stephens Junior College, Columbia, MO, in 1937, she moved to Saint Louis to find work. There she met Edwin W. Smith, her first husband, an aviation factory machine-tools designer. They married in 1940. Separated in 1951, she moved with her three children Rosemary, Richard, and James, to live near her sister's family in Washington State. Her widowed mother had also moved to Washington State by this time to be near family in Olympia.
Her younger sister Pat, a UW graduate and a Womens Air Service Pilot in the war, had met and married a handsome Army officer (Gerald L. Call) and they settled in Mount Vernon to start his dental practice and raise a family in 1950.
Helen and her children joined them in Mount Vernon in 1951, where she settled with the gracious help of her sister and her family, and took a job with the Washington State Tax Commission.
Her life there was an extened-family environment which included bridge clubs, car-camping near and far, Boy Scouts and Rainbow Girls with the kids, typing at blazing speeds at her job downtown, and participating in a three-household family which incuded her kids, her sister's family, her mother Nelle Hiller and grandmother Grace Tower, all living adjacent around a corner near Hillcrest Park. Grandmother Tower told tales of going out to Oregon on the Oregon Trail, from Wisconsin, and coming back!
After the last of her children moved awaty in 1964, Helen moved to Olympia to accept a higher paying position with the Tax Commission and find a more active adult social environment.
She met her second husband, Sidney S. Cowling, a state tax auditor, in 1968. He was the love of her life. They married in Las Vegas on April 12th, 1971, and she moved to live with him in Vancouver, WA, finding another great friend and kindred spirit in Sid's widowed sister Maxine. They enjoyed car-travelling, cruises, upgrading and enjoying their place on the Toutle River, and supporting DeMolay and Mason activities. Sid was a 33rd degree Mason, a DeMolay leader, and an expert at enjoying life and all the people around him. He passed away in August of 1981.
Helen moved back to Mount Vernon to be near family and friends again, then moved to Seattle to be near her elder son and his family after her health started failing. She was comforted during this time by the constant company of her cat Smoky and successor Miss Kitty.
Helen is survived by her sister Pat Call of Mount Vernon; daughter Rosemary (Smith) Holland and her sons Brian Fortier and Jon Fortier, all of Wichita, KS; son Dick Smith and wife Lauralee (Best) of Seattle; son Jim Smith and wife Jan (Bonin) of San Luis Obispo; Jim's daughter Sarah Smith and husband Lee Leiber of Potomac, MD; and Jim and Jan's children, Kim Jones of San Luis Obispo and Steve Jones of San Francisco.
She is also survived by sister Pat's children and their families. These are relations closer than that of nephew and niece because they lived so close together for many years, and kept those relationships alive; Dan and Deborah Call of Springfield, OR, Sally (Call) Sibson and Bob Sibson and family of Adelaide, Australia; Cindi Call of Edmonds and Pam Philips of Edmonds; and the Mount Vernon mainstay of the family, Mary Pat (Call) Lorente and family.
Helen was preceded in death by her younger brother H.T. (Pete) Hiller and wife Rosalie of Dallas, Texas, and she had fond memories of their daughters Pat Hiller and Barbara Van Voast, now living in Crockett, TX.
At Helen's request, there will be no services. A family memorial event to celebrate Helen's life will be held at Max Dales in early September. She wishes you to remember her by reading "Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep", a 1932 poem written by Mary Elizabeth Frye. Helen wrote it out in longhand as a reminder to herself on the day her second husband died.
Helen was dedicated to, and greatly comforted by a progression of animals throughout her life. Her household always included one or more horses, cats, or dogs, from a very young age. Any charitable contributions in her name should be made to S.P.O.T. (Saving Pets One at a Time), http://savingpetsoneatatime.org. P.O. Box 211, Burlington, WA 98233.
Helen Louise Cowling, 95, passed away peacefully August 12, 2012, in Seattle.
Helen was born Jan. 29th, 1917, and grew up in Kahoka, Missouri, eldest daughter of Harrod and Nelle Hiller.
Graduating from Stephens Junior College, Columbia, MO, in 1937, she moved to Saint Louis to find work. There she met Edwin W. Smith, her first husband, an aviation factory machine-tools designer. They married in 1940. Separated in 1951, she moved with her three children Rosemary, Richard, and James, to live near her sister's family in Washington State. Her widowed mother had also moved to Washington State by this time to be near family in Olympia.
Her younger sister Pat, a UW graduate and a Womens Air Service Pilot in the war, had met and married a handsome Army officer (Gerald L. Call) and they settled in Mount Vernon to start his dental practice and raise a family in 1950.
Helen and her children joined them in Mount Vernon in 1951, where she settled with the gracious help of her sister and her family, and took a job with the Washington State Tax Commission.
Her life there was an extened-family environment which included bridge clubs, car-camping near and far, Boy Scouts and Rainbow Girls with the kids, typing at blazing speeds at her job downtown, and participating in a three-household family which incuded her kids, her sister's family, her mother Nelle Hiller and grandmother Grace Tower, all living adjacent around a corner near Hillcrest Park. Grandmother Tower told tales of going out to Oregon on the Oregon Trail, from Wisconsin, and coming back!
After the last of her children moved awaty in 1964, Helen moved to Olympia to accept a higher paying position with the Tax Commission and find a more active adult social environment.
She met her second husband, Sidney S. Cowling, a state tax auditor, in 1968. He was the love of her life. They married in Las Vegas on April 12th, 1971, and she moved to live with him in Vancouver, WA, finding another great friend and kindred spirit in Sid's widowed sister Maxine. They enjoyed car-travelling, cruises, upgrading and enjoying their place on the Toutle River, and supporting DeMolay and Mason activities. Sid was a 33rd degree Mason, a DeMolay leader, and an expert at enjoying life and all the people around him. He passed away in August of 1981.
Helen moved back to Mount Vernon to be near family and friends again, then moved to Seattle to be near her elder son and his family after her health started failing. She was comforted during this time by the constant company of her cat Smoky and successor Miss Kitty.
Helen is survived by her sister Pat Call of Mount Vernon; daughter Rosemary (Smith) Holland and her sons Brian Fortier and Jon Fortier, all of Wichita, KS; son Dick Smith and wife Lauralee (Best) of Seattle; son Jim Smith and wife Jan (Bonin) of San Luis Obispo; Jim's daughter Sarah Smith and husband Lee Leiber of Potomac, MD; and Jim and Jan's children, Kim Jones of San Luis Obispo and Steve Jones of San Francisco.
She is also survived by sister Pat's children and their families. These are relations closer than that of nephew and niece because they lived so close together for many years, and kept those relationships alive; Dan and Deborah Call of Springfield, OR, Sally (Call) Sibson and Bob Sibson and family of Adelaide, Australia; Cindi Call of Edmonds and Pam Philips of Edmonds; and the Mount Vernon mainstay of the family, Mary Pat (Call) Lorente and family.
Helen was preceded in death by her younger brother H.T. (Pete) Hiller and wife Rosalie of Dallas, Texas, and she had fond memories of their daughters Pat Hiller and Barbara Van Voast, now living in Crockett, TX.
At Helen's request, there will be no services. A family memorial event to celebrate Helen's life will be held at Max Dales in early September. She wishes you to remember her by reading "Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep", a 1932 poem written by Mary Elizabeth Frye. Helen wrote it out in longhand as a reminder to herself on the day her second husband died.
Helen was dedicated to, and greatly comforted by a progression of animals throughout her life. Her household always included one or more horses, cats, or dogs, from a very young age. Any charitable contributions in her name should be made to S.P.O.T. (Saving Pets One at a Time), http://savingpetsoneatatime.org. P.O. Box 211, Burlington, WA 98233.
Published in the Skagit Valley Herald, Mount Vernon, Wa August 26, 2012
Helen Louise Cowling, 95, passed away peacefully August 12, 2012, in Seattle.
Helen was born Jan. 29th, 1917, and grew up in Kahoka, Missouri, eldest daughter of Harrod and Nelle Hiller.
Graduating from Stephens Junior College, Columbia, MO, in 1937, she moved to Saint Louis to find work. There she met Edwin W. Smith, her first husband, an aviation factory machine-tools designer. They married in 1940. Separated in 1951, she moved with her three children Rosemary, Richard, and James, to live near her sister's family in Washington State. Her widowed mother had also moved to Washington State by this time to be near family in Olympia.
Her younger sister Pat, a UW graduate and a Womens Air Service Pilot in the war, had met and married a handsome Army officer (Gerald L. Call) and they settled in Mount Vernon to start his dental practice and raise a family in 1950.
Helen and her children joined them in Mount Vernon in 1951, where she settled with the gracious help of her sister and her family, and took a job with the Washington State Tax Commission.
Her life there was an extened-family environment which included bridge clubs, car-camping near and far, Boy Scouts and Rainbow Girls with the kids, typing at blazing speeds at her job downtown, and participating in a three-household family which incuded her kids, her sister's family, her mother Nelle Hiller and grandmother Grace Tower, all living adjacent around a corner near Hillcrest Park. Grandmother Tower told tales of going out to Oregon on the Oregon Trail, from Wisconsin, and coming back!
After the last of her children moved awaty in 1964, Helen moved to Olympia to accept a higher paying position with the Tax Commission and find a more active adult social environment.
She met her second husband, Sidney S. Cowling, a state tax auditor, in 1968. He was the love of her life. They married in Las Vegas on April 12th, 1971, and she moved to live with him in Vancouver, WA, finding another great friend and kindred spirit in Sid's widowed sister Maxine. They enjoyed car-travelling, cruises, upgrading and enjoying their place on the Toutle River, and supporting DeMolay and Mason activities. Sid was a 33rd degree Mason, a DeMolay leader, and an expert at enjoying life and all the people around him. He passed away in August of 1981.
Helen moved back to Mount Vernon to be near family and friends again, then moved to Seattle to be near her elder son and his family after her health started failing. She was comforted during this time by the constant company of her cat Smoky and successor Miss Kitty.
Helen is survived by her sister Pat Call of Mount Vernon; daughter Rosemary (Smith) Holland and her sons Brian Fortier and Jon Fortier, all of Wichita, KS; son Dick Smith and wife Lauralee (Best) of Seattle; son Jim Smith and wife Jan (Bonin) of San Luis Obispo; Jim's daughter Sarah Smith and husband Lee Leiber of Potomac, MD; and Jim and Jan's children, Kim Jones of San Luis Obispo and Steve Jones of San Francisco.
She is also survived by sister Pat's children and their families. These are relations closer than that of nephew and niece because they lived so close together for many years, and kept those relationships alive; Dan and Deborah Call of Springfield, OR, Sally (Call) Sibson and Bob Sibson and family of Adelaide, Australia; Cindi Call of Edmonds and Pam Philips of Edmonds; and the Mount Vernon mainstay of the family, Mary Pat (Call) Lorente and family.
Helen was preceded in death by her younger brother H.T. (Pete) Hiller and wife Rosalie of Dallas, Texas, and she had fond memories of their daughters Pat Hiller and Barbara Van Voast, now living in Crockett, TX.
At Helen's request, there will be no services. A family memorial event to celebrate Helen's life will be held at Max Dales in early September. She wishes you to remember her by reading "Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep", a 1932 poem written by Mary Elizabeth Frye. Helen wrote it out in longhand as a reminder to herself on the day her second husband died.
Helen was dedicated to, and greatly comforted by a progression of animals throughout her life. Her household always included one or more horses, cats, or dogs, from a very young age. Any charitable contributions in her name should be made to S.P.O.T. (Saving Pets One at a Time), http://savingpetsoneatatime.org. P.O. Box 211, Burlington, WA 98233.
Helen Louise Cowling, 95, passed away peacefully August 12, 2012, in Seattle.
Helen was born Jan. 29th, 1917, and grew up in Kahoka, Missouri, eldest daughter of Harrod and Nelle Hiller.
Graduating from Stephens Junior College, Columbia, MO, in 1937, she moved to Saint Louis to find work. There she met Edwin W. Smith, her first husband, an aviation factory machine-tools designer. They married in 1940. Separated in 1951, she moved with her three children Rosemary, Richard, and James, to live near her sister's family in Washington State. Her widowed mother had also moved to Washington State by this time to be near family in Olympia.
Her younger sister Pat, a UW graduate and a Womens Air Service Pilot in the war, had met and married a handsome Army officer (Gerald L. Call) and they settled in Mount Vernon to start his dental practice and raise a family in 1950.
Helen and her children joined them in Mount Vernon in 1951, where she settled with the gracious help of her sister and her family, and took a job with the Washington State Tax Commission.
Her life there was an extened-family environment which included bridge clubs, car-camping near and far, Boy Scouts and Rainbow Girls with the kids, typing at blazing speeds at her job downtown, and participating in a three-household family which incuded her kids, her sister's family, her mother Nelle Hiller and grandmother Grace Tower, all living adjacent around a corner near Hillcrest Park. Grandmother Tower told tales of going out to Oregon on the Oregon Trail, from Wisconsin, and coming back!
After the last of her children moved awaty in 1964, Helen moved to Olympia to accept a higher paying position with the Tax Commission and find a more active adult social environment.
She met her second husband, Sidney S. Cowling, a state tax auditor, in 1968. He was the love of her life. They married in Las Vegas on April 12th, 1971, and she moved to live with him in Vancouver, WA, finding another great friend and kindred spirit in Sid's widowed sister Maxine. They enjoyed car-travelling, cruises, upgrading and enjoying their place on the Toutle River, and supporting DeMolay and Mason activities. Sid was a 33rd degree Mason, a DeMolay leader, and an expert at enjoying life and all the people around him. He passed away in August of 1981.
Helen moved back to Mount Vernon to be near family and friends again, then moved to Seattle to be near her elder son and his family after her health started failing. She was comforted during this time by the constant company of her cat Smoky and successor Miss Kitty.
Helen is survived by her sister Pat Call of Mount Vernon; daughter Rosemary (Smith) Holland and her sons Brian Fortier and Jon Fortier, all of Wichita, KS; son Dick Smith and wife Lauralee (Best) of Seattle; son Jim Smith and wife Jan (Bonin) of San Luis Obispo; Jim's daughter Sarah Smith and husband Lee Leiber of Potomac, MD; and Jim and Jan's children, Kim Jones of San Luis Obispo and Steve Jones of San Francisco.
She is also survived by sister Pat's children and their families. These are relations closer than that of nephew and niece because they lived so close together for many years, and kept those relationships alive; Dan and Deborah Call of Springfield, OR, Sally (Call) Sibson and Bob Sibson and family of Adelaide, Australia; Cindi Call of Edmonds and Pam Philips of Edmonds; and the Mount Vernon mainstay of the family, Mary Pat (Call) Lorente and family.
Helen was preceded in death by her younger brother H.T. (Pete) Hiller and wife Rosalie of Dallas, Texas, and she had fond memories of their daughters Pat Hiller and Barbara Van Voast, now living in Crockett, TX.
At Helen's request, there will be no services. A family memorial event to celebrate Helen's life will be held at Max Dales in early September. She wishes you to remember her by reading "Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep", a 1932 poem written by Mary Elizabeth Frye. Helen wrote it out in longhand as a reminder to herself on the day her second husband died.
Helen was dedicated to, and greatly comforted by a progression of animals throughout her life. Her household always included one or more horses, cats, or dogs, from a very young age. Any charitable contributions in her name should be made to S.P.O.T. (Saving Pets One at a Time), http://savingpetsoneatatime.org. P.O. Box 211, Burlington, WA 98233.
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