Helen Howard

Helen Maxine Howard, 85, a longtime Lewiston resident, passed away peacefully with her family by her side Saturday, March 19, 2016, at her home.

Helen was born Nov. 9, 1930, at the Henderson family farm north of Nezperce. She was the third child of seven children born to Wayne and Mildred Huffman Henderson. She attended grade school at Alpine schoolhouse and attended Nezperce High School, graduating with the class in 1948. She moved to Lewiston, where she attended and graduated from Lewiston Business College. She was employed in the offices at Potlatch Forests Inc. in Lewiston.

She married Harold Kenneth Howard on June 11, 1950, at the Christian Church in Nezperce. In 1952, Helen moved to Wichita Falls, Texas, to join her husband, who had enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. They completed Ken's service commitment at Edwards Air Force Base in California, where Helen worked in an office at the base. They remained for several years in Lancaster, Calif., where she became a full-time mother with the birth of their first child in 1957.

Helen and Ken returned to Idaho the following year to pursue other opportunities and to build a family. They lived in several Idaho cities and added two more children to the family. The family moved to Washington state while pursuing work opportunities, eventually settling in Boise in 1978. Helen worked at the Veterans Administration for 17 years, retiring in 1995. She was a member of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority, and the Eastern Star Jaycettes, and they were active in several other civic organizations.

After retiring, Helen and Ken returned to Lewiston. They enjoyed traveling to Arizona in the winter and the coast of Oregon in the summers, as well as many local camping areas for family gatherings. During these trips they would spend as much time as possible with the kids and grandkids at beautiful forest campgrounds. Helen kept active working with her sisters tracing the family history and genealogy back to the 1600s. She enjoyed getting together with friends from high school to celebrate birthdays and her card group.

She was active in the Congregational-Presbyterian Church women's association, Red Hat Society, Seaport Good Sam chapter and the Crankers Club.

Survivors include two sons, Tom and David, both of Phoenix; a daughter, Cindy in Moscow; two granddaughters, Christina and Christian Venturini of Staatsburg N.Y., and Emily Lish of Brownville, N.Y.; two great-grandchildren, John Kenneth and Helen "Ellie" Lish Venturini; a sister, Judi and Darrold Rupe of Grangeville; and a brother, Jimmy Henderson of White Bird.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ken; her parents; brother Leroy Henderson; and her three sisters, Irene Henderson, Janice Goin and Lorraine Rynearson.

Services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Congregational-Presbyterian Church in Lewiston. Malcom's Brower-Wann Funeral Home in Lewiston is handling the arrangements.

Memorials, in lieu of flowers, can be made to the Congregational-Presbyterian Church, 709 Sixth St., Lewiston, ID 83501.