Helen was born in Virginia to Finn immigrants John Edward Buork and Olga Alexandria Hedman. Helen was the second of three sisters. Helen's mother died when she was 14 and her father then raised the three girls on his own. It is my understanding that John moved west with the girls first to Colorado and then later to California.
Helen married Claude Harry Dornblaser in 1929 and they had two sons, Donald and Norman (Bill). During WWII Helen worked at Chevron Oil Refinery in El Segundo when many of the young men left for the armed services (aka Rosie the Riveter). Most of her career was spent as a seamstress. Helen was very active in the Eastern Star and was also an accomplished artist. She took after her father as he was a tailor and artist himself.
As adults the three sisters lived within 15 minutes of each other with Helen and her older sister Olga living in El Segundo and her younger sister Ollie living in Los Angeles (Baldwin Park area). They remained very close their entire lives.
Helen and her husband retired to Little Rock, CA in the 1970's where they built their own home that had a some acreage with it. Helen then became quite a gardener raising her own food. The community was filled with orchards and she would take her grandchildren and great grandchildren to the "you pick em" orchards. Another fun outing was going to the nearby turkey farm.
After her husband's death she returned to El Segundo and lived at Park Vista. When she no longer could care for herself, she lived in assisted living near her son, Don in northern Nevada. When Don moved to Southern California, she was moved to a convalescent home there, where she passed away in 2000, at the age of 92.
Written by her granddaughter, Rhonda Dornblaser
Helen married Claude Harry Dornblaser in 1929 and they had two sons, Donald and Norman (Bill). During WWII Helen worked at Chevron Oil Refinery in El Segundo when many of the young men left for the armed services (aka Rosie the Riveter). Most of her career was spent as a seamstress. Helen was very active in the Eastern Star and was also an accomplished artist. She took after her father as he was a tailor and artist himself.
As adults the three sisters lived within 15 minutes of each other with Helen and her older sister Olga living in El Segundo and her younger sister Ollie living in Los Angeles (Baldwin Park area). They remained very close their entire lives.
Helen and her husband retired to Little Rock, CA in the 1970's where they built their own home that had a some acreage with it. Helen then became quite a gardener raising her own food. The community was filled with orchards and she would take her grandchildren and great grandchildren to the "you pick em" orchards. Another fun outing was going to the nearby turkey farm.
After her husband's death she returned to El Segundo and lived at Park Vista. When she no longer could care for herself, she lived in assisted living near her son, Don in northern Nevada. When Don moved to Southern California, she was moved to a convalescent home there, where she passed away in 2000, at the age of 92.
Written by her granddaughter, Rhonda Dornblaser
Helen was born in Virginia to Finn immigrants John Edward Buork and Olga Alexandria Hedman. Helen was the second of three sisters. Helen's mother died when she was 14 and her father then raised the three girls on his own. It is my understanding that John moved west with the girls first to Colorado and then later to California.
Helen married Claude Harry Dornblaser in 1929 and they had two sons, Donald and Norman (Bill). During WWII Helen worked at Chevron Oil Refinery in El Segundo when many of the young men left for the armed services (aka Rosie the Riveter). Most of her career was spent as a seamstress. Helen was very active in the Eastern Star and was also an accomplished artist. She took after her father as he was a tailor and artist himself.
As adults the three sisters lived within 15 minutes of each other with Helen and her older sister Olga living in El Segundo and her younger sister Ollie living in Los Angeles (Baldwin Park area). They remained very close their entire lives.
Helen and her husband retired to Little Rock, CA in the 1970's where they built their own home that had a some acreage with it. Helen then became quite a gardener raising her own food. The community was filled with orchards and she would take her grandchildren and great grandchildren to the "you pick em" orchards. Another fun outing was going to the nearby turkey farm.
After her husband's death she returned to El Segundo and lived at Park Vista. When she no longer could care for herself, she lived in assisted living near her son, Don in northern Nevada. When Don moved to Southern California, she was moved to a convalescent home there, where she passed away in 2000, at the age of 92.
Written by her granddaughter, Rhonda Dornblaser
Helen married Claude Harry Dornblaser in 1929 and they had two sons, Donald and Norman (Bill). During WWII Helen worked at Chevron Oil Refinery in El Segundo when many of the young men left for the armed services (aka Rosie the Riveter). Most of her career was spent as a seamstress. Helen was very active in the Eastern Star and was also an accomplished artist. She took after her father as he was a tailor and artist himself.
As adults the three sisters lived within 15 minutes of each other with Helen and her older sister Olga living in El Segundo and her younger sister Ollie living in Los Angeles (Baldwin Park area). They remained very close their entire lives.
Helen and her husband retired to Little Rock, CA in the 1970's where they built their own home that had a some acreage with it. Helen then became quite a gardener raising her own food. The community was filled with orchards and she would take her grandchildren and great grandchildren to the "you pick em" orchards. Another fun outing was going to the nearby turkey farm.
After her husband's death she returned to El Segundo and lived at Park Vista. When she no longer could care for herself, she lived in assisted living near her son, Don in northern Nevada. When Don moved to Southern California, she was moved to a convalescent home there, where she passed away in 2000, at the age of 92.
Written by her granddaughter, Rhonda Dornblaser
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