Helen was known affectionately as 'Yakadona' or 'Yakie' because when she was a child she had a speech impediment. At one time in her childhood she had said the phrase 'Lookie Yonder' which came out as 'Yakadona'. Helen enjoyed many different sports. She played ball, bowled, rode motorcycles, flew aeroplanes, and loved horses. When asked what she had always wanted to be when she grew up, she said "A cowgirl".
Helen and Johnny married while still quite young, she only being 15 yrs. old. The date was 27 Apr 1940 and it took place in South Haven, Sumner Co., KS. She always said that she grew up with her kids. Helen and Johnny had quite opposite personalities. Helen was a do or die person and Johnny was more laid back. Johnny enjoyed fishing, hunting, creating and cars. Helen was a person that liked action. Helen and Johnny were divorce in May 1961.
She soon met Robert Baker at a bowling alley in Great Bend, KS. He was eight years younger than her, but he was smitten. He liked her spunk and also her beauty. They got married and traveled extensively during his employment with Dow Corning. They bought motorcycles together and raced for several years. They took flying lessons and became pilots. Dow Corning wanted Robert to go to Iraq to build a power plant there, but Helen refused to go. Women were not respected there. When Robert retired, they bought up several properties and moved down to Truman Lake area and lived there for several years, They both bought ATV's and a boat, enjoyed fishing and bird watching. Robert became a volunteer fireman and went to auctioneering school. He had a stroke and they moved into one of their homes in Warsaw. She took very good care of Robert during his illness. He went into a care facility and was there for three years. Helen became more involved in her church and was on the church board, in the choir and aided when necessary.
Thanksgiving of 2008 was very special for Helen. She decided that she wanted to prepare her last Thanksgiving meal. She made everything that is associated with Thanksgiving, all from scratch. She cooked her turkey with the fixings. She had stamina like no other. Mind you, she was shy one month of being 84 yrs. old. She made two pies for the church dinner on Aug. 21, 2010. She was still driving her car and went where ever she wished to go.
In the summer of June 2014, she was having some extensive remodeling done on her home and she slipped and fell, breaking her pelvis. She was told that she would never walk again and she said to Susie, "They don't know me to well, do they." Mind you, she was now 89 yrs old. She did walk again and then between she and Susie, they decided that she should move closer to Susie and have more help.
Helen moved into assisted living in Sept 2014 in Mission, KS. She was only four minutes away from her daughter Susie. She became quite involved at Bickford Mission Springs. She help set the tables with linens and made flower arrangements for the table. She enjoyed crafting and she took up the adult coloring book trend. She was very good at the choices of her colors and most of her visitor wanted one of her pictures. She even framed them. At the age of 92, she still used facebook to keep in touch with her friends in Warsaw, MO., where she had lived before moving to Mission.
In conversations after all of her many years and had moved to Mission, she told Susie that she had never stopped loving Johnny. He was her true love. It's so ironic that this was told to Susie, because, before her dad passed away, he wanted her to take him to a lawyer so that he could divorce his second wife. He said that he loved Helen and that maybe they could get back together. Johnny was in a care facility at that time and died shortly after.
Helen and Johnny married while still quite young, she only being 15 yrs. old. The date was 27 Apr 1940 and it took place in South Haven, Sumner Co., KS. She always said that she grew up with her kids. Helen and Johnny had quite opposite personalities. Helen was a do or die person and Johnny was more laid back. Johnny enjoyed fishing, hunting, creating and cars. Helen was a person that liked action. Helen and Johnny were divorce in May 1961.
She soon met Robert Baker at a bowling alley in Great Bend, KS. He was eight years younger than her, but he was smitten. He liked her spunk and also her beauty. They got married and traveled extensively during his employment with Dow Corning. They bought motorcycles together and raced for several years. They took flying lessons and became pilots. Dow Corning wanted Robert to go to Iraq to build a power plant there, but Helen refused to go. Women were not respected there. When Robert retired, they bought up several properties and moved down to Truman Lake area and lived there for several years, They both bought ATV's and a boat, enjoyed fishing and bird watching. Robert became a volunteer fireman and went to auctioneering school. He had a stroke and they moved into one of their homes in Warsaw. She took very good care of Robert during his illness. He went into a care facility and was there for three years. Helen became more involved in her church and was on the church board, in the choir and aided when necessary.
Thanksgiving of 2008 was very special for Helen. She decided that she wanted to prepare her last Thanksgiving meal. She made everything that is associated with Thanksgiving, all from scratch. She cooked her turkey with the fixings. She had stamina like no other. Mind you, she was shy one month of being 84 yrs. old. She made two pies for the church dinner on Aug. 21, 2010. She was still driving her car and went where ever she wished to go.
In the summer of June 2014, she was having some extensive remodeling done on her home and she slipped and fell, breaking her pelvis. She was told that she would never walk again and she said to Susie, "They don't know me to well, do they." Mind you, she was now 89 yrs old. She did walk again and then between she and Susie, they decided that she should move closer to Susie and have more help.
Helen moved into assisted living in Sept 2014 in Mission, KS. She was only four minutes away from her daughter Susie. She became quite involved at Bickford Mission Springs. She help set the tables with linens and made flower arrangements for the table. She enjoyed crafting and she took up the adult coloring book trend. She was very good at the choices of her colors and most of her visitor wanted one of her pictures. She even framed them. At the age of 92, she still used facebook to keep in touch with her friends in Warsaw, MO., where she had lived before moving to Mission.
In conversations after all of her many years and had moved to Mission, she told Susie that she had never stopped loving Johnny. He was her true love. It's so ironic that this was told to Susie, because, before her dad passed away, he wanted her to take him to a lawyer so that he could divorce his second wife. He said that he loved Helen and that maybe they could get back together. Johnny was in a care facility at that time and died shortly after.
Helen was known affectionately as 'Yakadona' or 'Yakie' because when she was a child she had a speech impediment. At one time in her childhood she had said the phrase 'Lookie Yonder' which came out as 'Yakadona'. Helen enjoyed many different sports. She played ball, bowled, rode motorcycles, flew aeroplanes, and loved horses. When asked what she had always wanted to be when she grew up, she said "A cowgirl".
Helen and Johnny married while still quite young, she only being 15 yrs. old. The date was 27 Apr 1940 and it took place in South Haven, Sumner Co., KS. She always said that she grew up with her kids. Helen and Johnny had quite opposite personalities. Helen was a do or die person and Johnny was more laid back. Johnny enjoyed fishing, hunting, creating and cars. Helen was a person that liked action. Helen and Johnny were divorce in May 1961.
She soon met Robert Baker at a bowling alley in Great Bend, KS. He was eight years younger than her, but he was smitten. He liked her spunk and also her beauty. They got married and traveled extensively during his employment with Dow Corning. They bought motorcycles together and raced for several years. They took flying lessons and became pilots. Dow Corning wanted Robert to go to Iraq to build a power plant there, but Helen refused to go. Women were not respected there. When Robert retired, they bought up several properties and moved down to Truman Lake area and lived there for several years, They both bought ATV's and a boat, enjoyed fishing and bird watching. Robert became a volunteer fireman and went to auctioneering school. He had a stroke and they moved into one of their homes in Warsaw. She took very good care of Robert during his illness. He went into a care facility and was there for three years. Helen became more involved in her church and was on the church board, in the choir and aided when necessary.
Thanksgiving of 2008 was very special for Helen. She decided that she wanted to prepare her last Thanksgiving meal. She made everything that is associated with Thanksgiving, all from scratch. She cooked her turkey with the fixings. She had stamina like no other. Mind you, she was shy one month of being 84 yrs. old. She made two pies for the church dinner on Aug. 21, 2010. She was still driving her car and went where ever she wished to go.
In the summer of June 2014, she was having some extensive remodeling done on her home and she slipped and fell, breaking her pelvis. She was told that she would never walk again and she said to Susie, "They don't know me to well, do they." Mind you, she was now 89 yrs old. She did walk again and then between she and Susie, they decided that she should move closer to Susie and have more help.
Helen moved into assisted living in Sept 2014 in Mission, KS. She was only four minutes away from her daughter Susie. She became quite involved at Bickford Mission Springs. She help set the tables with linens and made flower arrangements for the table. She enjoyed crafting and she took up the adult coloring book trend. She was very good at the choices of her colors and most of her visitor wanted one of her pictures. She even framed them. At the age of 92, she still used facebook to keep in touch with her friends in Warsaw, MO., where she had lived before moving to Mission.
In conversations after all of her many years and had moved to Mission, she told Susie that she had never stopped loving Johnny. He was her true love. It's so ironic that this was told to Susie, because, before her dad passed away, he wanted her to take him to a lawyer so that he could divorce his second wife. He said that he loved Helen and that maybe they could get back together. Johnny was in a care facility at that time and died shortly after.
Helen and Johnny married while still quite young, she only being 15 yrs. old. The date was 27 Apr 1940 and it took place in South Haven, Sumner Co., KS. She always said that she grew up with her kids. Helen and Johnny had quite opposite personalities. Helen was a do or die person and Johnny was more laid back. Johnny enjoyed fishing, hunting, creating and cars. Helen was a person that liked action. Helen and Johnny were divorce in May 1961.
She soon met Robert Baker at a bowling alley in Great Bend, KS. He was eight years younger than her, but he was smitten. He liked her spunk and also her beauty. They got married and traveled extensively during his employment with Dow Corning. They bought motorcycles together and raced for several years. They took flying lessons and became pilots. Dow Corning wanted Robert to go to Iraq to build a power plant there, but Helen refused to go. Women were not respected there. When Robert retired, they bought up several properties and moved down to Truman Lake area and lived there for several years, They both bought ATV's and a boat, enjoyed fishing and bird watching. Robert became a volunteer fireman and went to auctioneering school. He had a stroke and they moved into one of their homes in Warsaw. She took very good care of Robert during his illness. He went into a care facility and was there for three years. Helen became more involved in her church and was on the church board, in the choir and aided when necessary.
Thanksgiving of 2008 was very special for Helen. She decided that she wanted to prepare her last Thanksgiving meal. She made everything that is associated with Thanksgiving, all from scratch. She cooked her turkey with the fixings. She had stamina like no other. Mind you, she was shy one month of being 84 yrs. old. She made two pies for the church dinner on Aug. 21, 2010. She was still driving her car and went where ever she wished to go.
In the summer of June 2014, she was having some extensive remodeling done on her home and she slipped and fell, breaking her pelvis. She was told that she would never walk again and she said to Susie, "They don't know me to well, do they." Mind you, she was now 89 yrs old. She did walk again and then between she and Susie, they decided that she should move closer to Susie and have more help.
Helen moved into assisted living in Sept 2014 in Mission, KS. She was only four minutes away from her daughter Susie. She became quite involved at Bickford Mission Springs. She help set the tables with linens and made flower arrangements for the table. She enjoyed crafting and she took up the adult coloring book trend. She was very good at the choices of her colors and most of her visitor wanted one of her pictures. She even framed them. At the age of 92, she still used facebook to keep in touch with her friends in Warsaw, MO., where she had lived before moving to Mission.
In conversations after all of her many years and had moved to Mission, she told Susie that she had never stopped loving Johnny. He was her true love. It's so ironic that this was told to Susie, because, before her dad passed away, he wanted her to take him to a lawyer so that he could divorce his second wife. He said that he loved Helen and that maybe they could get back together. Johnny was in a care facility at that time and died shortly after.
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