Helen Prewett

Helen Prewett, 95, a former business owner,passed away January 1, 2014 from natural causes at Pondera Nursing Home. Per her request there will be no services. Helen was born May 26, 1918 to Clyde and Gladys Price in Simms. She joined a sister, Lillian, and in a short time a sister, Nellie, and a brother, Virg, also joined the family. Helen was raised in Simms and completed her education there. While in junior high she was very proud that she was able to play basketball on the high school varsity squad. She played ball all through school and loved every minute of it. Another memory of hers was making the winning basket during a championship game. She graduated from high school in 1936. In 1937 she married Marvin (Bun) Prewett with whom she had gone to school with. In 1938 Helen and Bun welcomed a daughter, Mourine Prewett Grubb. During their first few years of marriage they lived in a few small communities on the high line due to Bun working for the Great Northern Railway. In the early 1940’s they moved to Conrad and that continued to be their home. The first few years Helen was a homemaker. Even by then she was known as a “great cook.” Few knew that she was a great seamstress always sewing for herself and Mourine but also making cheer-leading costumes. Later on in the years she did a lot of sewing for the grandkids making dresses, coats, sport coats and everything looked very professional. She started working in retail and ended up working at Valentines Style Shop. She found her niche. She developed a reputation for being the gal to ask about clothes. Many husbands knew they could rely on her to pick out something for their wives. After 20 some years working for someone else she decided to venture out on her own and started Helen’s of Conrad. Her reputation followed her and she was a success. With the opening of the store her granddaughter, Pam (age 14), started learning from grandma. Pam was able to purchase the store in 1984 when Helen said, “I have worked enough.” Prior and during Helen and Bun’s retirement years they did a lot of traveling with friends seeing many wonderful sights. They loved riding their motorcycle and spending time with their 5 grandchildren. They settled in Arizona golfing and enjoying the warm weather. Bun passed away in 1991 and she continued to winter in the south. In 2010 she felt she should be closer to the family and moved back to Conrad. She resided there until her passing. Helen is survived by her daughter, Mourine (Byron) Grubb; and five grandchildren, Pam (Willy) Marsh, Cary (Prudy) Grubb, Tracy (Karen) Grubb, Ryan (Holly) Grubb, Dana (Rich) McNeece; 13 great-grandchildren and 6 great- great grandchildren, neices and nephews. She was preceded in death by both parents, husband, sisters and brother. She will be missed by all of her family. She will always be known as that “classy lady.”