Helen (North) Behnke
January 29, 1923 - August 16, 2021
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Helen (North) Behnke passed away peacefully in her home, as was her wish, while in the loving presence of her daughter, Barbara, son-in-law, Lon Holden, and granddaughter, Brooke Schmidt on August 16, 2021.
Helen was a proud Montanan and a long-time resident of Great Falls. She and her husband, Kurt, moved from Butte to Great Falls with their young daughter in 1950.
Kurt was a railroad postal-worker and worked on the Milwaukee Road and the Great Northern Railway from Havre to Bismarck prior to becoming a postal superintendent at the Great Fall Post Office.
While working fulltime and having a strong and sharing work ethic, Kurt and Helen constructed their own Great Falls home. They also built several neighbors' garages.
Helen was a very talented seamstress and seemingly always had her Singer sewing machine running into the late evening hours making, altering, or mending all sorts of outfits and clothes for family, friends, and many others.
Always working and busy, Helen and Kurt raised their two children in that home and participated in numerous activities, perhaps best highlighted by Barb's baton twirling competitions, Kermit's sports activities, family hunting excursions, local and national pistol shooting matches, with Helen winning the Women's State Pistol Shooting Championship–a proud moment that remains with all of us.
As her grandchildren and great-grandchildren began entering this world and visiting her, Helen experienced great joy in sharing in their lives and happiness.
Barb also being an active Great Falls resident, Helen was able to experience innumerable shopping trips, happy holiday gatherings, and meals with her ever-expanding family.
Helen's father immigrated from England in 1896, and established a family home in the Brigham City, Utah area where Helen was born on January 29, 1923.
She was raised with ten siblings and is survived by her little brother, Rex North of Ogden, Utah. She often talked of how much she missed all her brothers and sisters.
Through her education and early working years in the Brigham City and Salt Lake City area, Helen worked for Ma Bell as a telephone operator.
She was also working evenings as an Arthur Murray Dance Instructor where she taught her future husband, Kurt. She was an outstanding ballroom dancer. She loved all the newest clothing styles as they changed throughout the many decades of her life.
Helen was always enthusiastic with a get-up-and-get-after-it energy that some of us just had a hard time keeping up with. She was an avid walker well before walking became the thing for fitness. She walked daily to work and to shop in the summer or in the winter. She was always on the go. She frequently walked miles with her children when they were quite young, leaving her children with vivid memories of the 5-mile-round-trip hike to catch the matinee at the downtown Liberty Theater.
Walking for Helen was a means of transportation and so much more. It enabled her to enjoy her passion of the Montana outdoors, her neighbors, the trees, the grass, her flowers, and the bird. It gave her an inner strength that served her so very well as she aged.
She was incredibly kind, loving, and friendly and she was known for always having a positive attitude. Someone recently observed, "she never had a negative bone in her body."
Helen is survived by her brother, Rex North of Ogden, Utah; her daughter, Barbara and her husband, Lon Holden; their children Jason and his wife, Marcie, Dustin and his wife, Stacy, and Brooke and her husband, Jeff Schmidt; her son Kermit and his wife, Jilayne; their daughter, Kalyn; and eight great-grandchildren, Coulter, Cedar, Calvin, Emmery, Savanna, Jackson, Opal, and Levi.
Helen is moving on from us to her husband and family that she has missed so much. She is leaving us with memories of her spirit and her love, her love for other people, her kindness to everyone, and her life passion for the beautiful Montana outdoors of vast blue skies, puffy white clouds, mountain vistas, multitudes of flowers, unique rock formations, and the happy, chipper birds.
Helen would invite all of us to "get up and get moving" and spend a morning, a sunset, or a day enjoying each other and what is there. When we do, we are sure Helen will be there as well. We are now the one's that must say, "We sure do miss you, Helen! (Mom! Grandma! Great-Grandma! Sister! Aunt! Friend!)"
Helen's memorial service will be held on Sunday, September 5, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. at Faith Lutheran Church, 1300 Ferguson Drive, Great Falls, Montana, with Pastor Kenneth Waag officiating.
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Schnider Funeral Home
Great Falls, Montana
January 29, 1923 - August 16, 2021
°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°
Helen (North) Behnke passed away peacefully in her home, as was her wish, while in the loving presence of her daughter, Barbara, son-in-law, Lon Holden, and granddaughter, Brooke Schmidt on August 16, 2021.
Helen was a proud Montanan and a long-time resident of Great Falls. She and her husband, Kurt, moved from Butte to Great Falls with their young daughter in 1950.
Kurt was a railroad postal-worker and worked on the Milwaukee Road and the Great Northern Railway from Havre to Bismarck prior to becoming a postal superintendent at the Great Fall Post Office.
While working fulltime and having a strong and sharing work ethic, Kurt and Helen constructed their own Great Falls home. They also built several neighbors' garages.
Helen was a very talented seamstress and seemingly always had her Singer sewing machine running into the late evening hours making, altering, or mending all sorts of outfits and clothes for family, friends, and many others.
Always working and busy, Helen and Kurt raised their two children in that home and participated in numerous activities, perhaps best highlighted by Barb's baton twirling competitions, Kermit's sports activities, family hunting excursions, local and national pistol shooting matches, with Helen winning the Women's State Pistol Shooting Championship–a proud moment that remains with all of us.
As her grandchildren and great-grandchildren began entering this world and visiting her, Helen experienced great joy in sharing in their lives and happiness.
Barb also being an active Great Falls resident, Helen was able to experience innumerable shopping trips, happy holiday gatherings, and meals with her ever-expanding family.
Helen's father immigrated from England in 1896, and established a family home in the Brigham City, Utah area where Helen was born on January 29, 1923.
She was raised with ten siblings and is survived by her little brother, Rex North of Ogden, Utah. She often talked of how much she missed all her brothers and sisters.
Through her education and early working years in the Brigham City and Salt Lake City area, Helen worked for Ma Bell as a telephone operator.
She was also working evenings as an Arthur Murray Dance Instructor where she taught her future husband, Kurt. She was an outstanding ballroom dancer. She loved all the newest clothing styles as they changed throughout the many decades of her life.
Helen was always enthusiastic with a get-up-and-get-after-it energy that some of us just had a hard time keeping up with. She was an avid walker well before walking became the thing for fitness. She walked daily to work and to shop in the summer or in the winter. She was always on the go. She frequently walked miles with her children when they were quite young, leaving her children with vivid memories of the 5-mile-round-trip hike to catch the matinee at the downtown Liberty Theater.
Walking for Helen was a means of transportation and so much more. It enabled her to enjoy her passion of the Montana outdoors, her neighbors, the trees, the grass, her flowers, and the bird. It gave her an inner strength that served her so very well as she aged.
She was incredibly kind, loving, and friendly and she was known for always having a positive attitude. Someone recently observed, "she never had a negative bone in her body."
Helen is survived by her brother, Rex North of Ogden, Utah; her daughter, Barbara and her husband, Lon Holden; their children Jason and his wife, Marcie, Dustin and his wife, Stacy, and Brooke and her husband, Jeff Schmidt; her son Kermit and his wife, Jilayne; their daughter, Kalyn; and eight great-grandchildren, Coulter, Cedar, Calvin, Emmery, Savanna, Jackson, Opal, and Levi.
Helen is moving on from us to her husband and family that she has missed so much. She is leaving us with memories of her spirit and her love, her love for other people, her kindness to everyone, and her life passion for the beautiful Montana outdoors of vast blue skies, puffy white clouds, mountain vistas, multitudes of flowers, unique rock formations, and the happy, chipper birds.
Helen would invite all of us to "get up and get moving" and spend a morning, a sunset, or a day enjoying each other and what is there. When we do, we are sure Helen will be there as well. We are now the one's that must say, "We sure do miss you, Helen! (Mom! Grandma! Great-Grandma! Sister! Aunt! Friend!)"
Helen's memorial service will be held on Sunday, September 5, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. at Faith Lutheran Church, 1300 Ferguson Drive, Great Falls, Montana, with Pastor Kenneth Waag officiating.
°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°
Schnider Funeral Home
Great Falls, Montana
Helen (North) Behnke
January 29, 1923 - August 16, 2021
°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°
Helen (North) Behnke passed away peacefully in her home, as was her wish, while in the loving presence of her daughter, Barbara, son-in-law, Lon Holden, and granddaughter, Brooke Schmidt on August 16, 2021.
Helen was a proud Montanan and a long-time resident of Great Falls. She and her husband, Kurt, moved from Butte to Great Falls with their young daughter in 1950.
Kurt was a railroad postal-worker and worked on the Milwaukee Road and the Great Northern Railway from Havre to Bismarck prior to becoming a postal superintendent at the Great Fall Post Office.
While working fulltime and having a strong and sharing work ethic, Kurt and Helen constructed their own Great Falls home. They also built several neighbors' garages.
Helen was a very talented seamstress and seemingly always had her Singer sewing machine running into the late evening hours making, altering, or mending all sorts of outfits and clothes for family, friends, and many others.
Always working and busy, Helen and Kurt raised their two children in that home and participated in numerous activities, perhaps best highlighted by Barb's baton twirling competitions, Kermit's sports activities, family hunting excursions, local and national pistol shooting matches, with Helen winning the Women's State Pistol Shooting Championship–a proud moment that remains with all of us.
As her grandchildren and great-grandchildren began entering this world and visiting her, Helen experienced great joy in sharing in their lives and happiness.
Barb also being an active Great Falls resident, Helen was able to experience innumerable shopping trips, happy holiday gatherings, and meals with her ever-expanding family.
Helen's father immigrated from England in 1896, and established a family home in the Brigham City, Utah area where Helen was born on January 29, 1923.
She was raised with ten siblings and is survived by her little brother, Rex North of Ogden, Utah. She often talked of how much she missed all her brothers and sisters.
Through her education and early working years in the Brigham City and Salt Lake City area, Helen worked for Ma Bell as a telephone operator.
She was also working evenings as an Arthur Murray Dance Instructor where she taught her future husband, Kurt. She was an outstanding ballroom dancer. She loved all the newest clothing styles as they changed throughout the many decades of her life.
Helen was always enthusiastic with a get-up-and-get-after-it energy that some of us just had a hard time keeping up with. She was an avid walker well before walking became the thing for fitness. She walked daily to work and to shop in the summer or in the winter. She was always on the go. She frequently walked miles with her children when they were quite young, leaving her children with vivid memories of the 5-mile-round-trip hike to catch the matinee at the downtown Liberty Theater.
Walking for Helen was a means of transportation and so much more. It enabled her to enjoy her passion of the Montana outdoors, her neighbors, the trees, the grass, her flowers, and the bird. It gave her an inner strength that served her so very well as she aged.
She was incredibly kind, loving, and friendly and she was known for always having a positive attitude. Someone recently observed, "she never had a negative bone in her body."
Helen is survived by her brother, Rex North of Ogden, Utah; her daughter, Barbara and her husband, Lon Holden; their children Jason and his wife, Marcie, Dustin and his wife, Stacy, and Brooke and her husband, Jeff Schmidt; her son Kermit and his wife, Jilayne; their daughter, Kalyn; and eight great-grandchildren, Coulter, Cedar, Calvin, Emmery, Savanna, Jackson, Opal, and Levi.
Helen is moving on from us to her husband and family that she has missed so much. She is leaving us with memories of her spirit and her love, her love for other people, her kindness to everyone, and her life passion for the beautiful Montana outdoors of vast blue skies, puffy white clouds, mountain vistas, multitudes of flowers, unique rock formations, and the happy, chipper birds.
Helen would invite all of us to "get up and get moving" and spend a morning, a sunset, or a day enjoying each other and what is there. When we do, we are sure Helen will be there as well. We are now the one's that must say, "We sure do miss you, Helen! (Mom! Grandma! Great-Grandma! Sister! Aunt! Friend!)"
Helen's memorial service will be held on Sunday, September 5, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. at Faith Lutheran Church, 1300 Ferguson Drive, Great Falls, Montana, with Pastor Kenneth Waag officiating.
°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°
Schnider Funeral Home
Great Falls, Montana
January 29, 1923 - August 16, 2021
°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°
Helen (North) Behnke passed away peacefully in her home, as was her wish, while in the loving presence of her daughter, Barbara, son-in-law, Lon Holden, and granddaughter, Brooke Schmidt on August 16, 2021.
Helen was a proud Montanan and a long-time resident of Great Falls. She and her husband, Kurt, moved from Butte to Great Falls with their young daughter in 1950.
Kurt was a railroad postal-worker and worked on the Milwaukee Road and the Great Northern Railway from Havre to Bismarck prior to becoming a postal superintendent at the Great Fall Post Office.
While working fulltime and having a strong and sharing work ethic, Kurt and Helen constructed their own Great Falls home. They also built several neighbors' garages.
Helen was a very talented seamstress and seemingly always had her Singer sewing machine running into the late evening hours making, altering, or mending all sorts of outfits and clothes for family, friends, and many others.
Always working and busy, Helen and Kurt raised their two children in that home and participated in numerous activities, perhaps best highlighted by Barb's baton twirling competitions, Kermit's sports activities, family hunting excursions, local and national pistol shooting matches, with Helen winning the Women's State Pistol Shooting Championship–a proud moment that remains with all of us.
As her grandchildren and great-grandchildren began entering this world and visiting her, Helen experienced great joy in sharing in their lives and happiness.
Barb also being an active Great Falls resident, Helen was able to experience innumerable shopping trips, happy holiday gatherings, and meals with her ever-expanding family.
Helen's father immigrated from England in 1896, and established a family home in the Brigham City, Utah area where Helen was born on January 29, 1923.
She was raised with ten siblings and is survived by her little brother, Rex North of Ogden, Utah. She often talked of how much she missed all her brothers and sisters.
Through her education and early working years in the Brigham City and Salt Lake City area, Helen worked for Ma Bell as a telephone operator.
She was also working evenings as an Arthur Murray Dance Instructor where she taught her future husband, Kurt. She was an outstanding ballroom dancer. She loved all the newest clothing styles as they changed throughout the many decades of her life.
Helen was always enthusiastic with a get-up-and-get-after-it energy that some of us just had a hard time keeping up with. She was an avid walker well before walking became the thing for fitness. She walked daily to work and to shop in the summer or in the winter. She was always on the go. She frequently walked miles with her children when they were quite young, leaving her children with vivid memories of the 5-mile-round-trip hike to catch the matinee at the downtown Liberty Theater.
Walking for Helen was a means of transportation and so much more. It enabled her to enjoy her passion of the Montana outdoors, her neighbors, the trees, the grass, her flowers, and the bird. It gave her an inner strength that served her so very well as she aged.
She was incredibly kind, loving, and friendly and she was known for always having a positive attitude. Someone recently observed, "she never had a negative bone in her body."
Helen is survived by her brother, Rex North of Ogden, Utah; her daughter, Barbara and her husband, Lon Holden; their children Jason and his wife, Marcie, Dustin and his wife, Stacy, and Brooke and her husband, Jeff Schmidt; her son Kermit and his wife, Jilayne; their daughter, Kalyn; and eight great-grandchildren, Coulter, Cedar, Calvin, Emmery, Savanna, Jackson, Opal, and Levi.
Helen is moving on from us to her husband and family that she has missed so much. She is leaving us with memories of her spirit and her love, her love for other people, her kindness to everyone, and her life passion for the beautiful Montana outdoors of vast blue skies, puffy white clouds, mountain vistas, multitudes of flowers, unique rock formations, and the happy, chipper birds.
Helen would invite all of us to "get up and get moving" and spend a morning, a sunset, or a day enjoying each other and what is there. When we do, we are sure Helen will be there as well. We are now the one's that must say, "We sure do miss you, Helen! (Mom! Grandma! Great-Grandma! Sister! Aunt! Friend!)"
Helen's memorial service will be held on Sunday, September 5, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. at Faith Lutheran Church, 1300 Ferguson Drive, Great Falls, Montana, with Pastor Kenneth Waag officiating.
°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°•°♡°•°★°
Schnider Funeral Home
Great Falls, Montana
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