Helen J Simon

Helen Jeanette Holmes Simon died February 6, 2016, in Sammamish, Washington. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 22, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 610 2nd Ave N in Great Falls. O’Connor Funeral Home is handling local arrangements. She was born in Harlowton, Montana, Dec. 13, 1926, to Frank and Etta (Fisk) Holmes of Hedgesville, Montana. One of her favorite stories was that her father shot jackrabbits on the trip home from the hospital the following Christmas day. Helen graduated as class valedictorian from Hedgesville High School in 1943, but, as she always pointed out, there were just three others in her graduating class at the tiny school. She spent most of her life working in an office. She attended Billings Business College in 1944 and then then taught commercial work at Shawmut High School for one year due to a teacher shortage during World War II. She moved to Great Falls, Montana, in 1947 and lived there until 2006 when she moved to Redmond, Washington, to be close to her daughter and family. In Great Falls she worked for GMAC, the federal government, First United Methodist Church, and finally, Northwestern National Life Insurance until her retirement on March 31, 1989. Helens hobbies included music (piano), reading, and travel. She loved to go on cruises, taking seven in her lifetime. She was very active in her church, a past President of the United Methodist Women, and honored as Methodist Mother of the Year in 1981. Additionally, she served as chairman of financial, staff-parish, and membership committees, and as secretary of the Board of Trustees. She also was a Choir Mother for various youth choirs in the church. A member of Helen C. Roberts Chapter #71, Order of Eastern Star, Helen served as Worthy Matron two times (in 1966, the 50th anniversary year for the chapter, and in 1996) and was Grand Warder in 1969 for the OES Grand Chapter of Montana. She served on the Order of the Rainbow for Girls advisory boards for Great Falls Assembly #3 and for Faith Assembly #68. For her service to Rainbow, she was awarded their highest honor, the Grand Cross of Colors. In Great Falls on April 17, 1953, Helen married Austin George Thompson of Cranbrook, British Columbia, a bus driver and Teamsters Union official. Together they had one daughter, Patricia Helen Thompson. Austin died on June 7, 1957. Several years later, she met a Great Falls barber, Daniel James Simon, whom she married on April 5, 1964. Dan loved gardening and regularly brought her flowers and produce from his ever-expanding garden. He died on September 16, 2005. Helen is survived by her daughter Patty Groves and Pattys husband Jim, grandchildren Jeremy Groves (with his wife Kat Groves) and Christy Groves Riley (with her husband Matt Riley), and two great-grandchildren, Maia and William Riley. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.