Helen Wallace

Helen Cora (Gould) Wallace was born May 5, 1918 in a log cabin on the Jones’ mountain ranch outside of Kremmling, Colorado, where her father was ranch supervisor and her mother was the ranch cook. She was the youngest of 3 children, including her beloved brothers, Frank and Roscoe. Their father, William Henry Gould, died in an accident when Helen was 3, and mother, Lena (Gould) Baker raised the children alone through the 1920’s and 30’s. As Helen often said, “we never noticed the depression, it was just life as usual. But we always had food and shelter and neighbors that helped each other.”

The family moved into the town of Kremmling, and then into several residences in the Hygiene and Altona areas, before moving back to her grandmother’s homestead ranch several miles north of Boulder. The Gould ranch is still in the family, more than 130 years after the original homesteading. Helen fondly remembered caring for prairie dog babies as pets, raising chickens and rabbits for food, and working in vegetable and berry gardens and apple orchards. She continued gardening her entire life, through her 94th summer. Though she later moved into the city, she often proudly said, “You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl.”

Helen married Maurice (Wally) Wallace, an air force officer, in 1941. They had 4 boys, Jeffrey (Fowler, Co), Martin (Capetown, South Africa), Douglas (Centennial, Co), and Charles (Canon City, Co). Helen was an “old fashioned” mother, and devoted herself to her children, always a nurturing, guiding, and accepting presence in their lives.

Typical of military families, the Wallaces were constantly moving, living at times in Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, California, Washington, Japan, and the Phillipines. When Wally retired in 1960, they settled in the Denver area, to be in Helen’s beloved home state. As the children matured Helen began a career with Sears, while Wally worked for the competing Montgomery Wards, a source of amusement (as well as nice employee discounts) in the family.

Helen and Wally became Christians in 1954, and church became the center of family life. Helen lived out the good news of Christ’s love to practically everyone she encountered, and was an inspiration to many. As her children matured and left home, spare basement bedroom suites were occupied by a series of people in transition or need of assistance. Most became lifelong friends.

In her retirement years, Helen and Wally volunteered regularly at church and food banks and helping seniors in their homes. Wally died in 1991, after 50 years of marriage. Helen began driving “old people” around in Denver to medical appointments and stores when she was 86 years old, until she quit driving at 90. At that point, she came down to live with her youngest son, Charles and his wife Jean, in Canon City. Her last 5 years were spent here, helping turn a barren 2 acre plot into a verdant “mini-farm” with gardens, orchards, flower beds, pastures, and chickens.

Until her last 7 months, she joined her son and daughter-in-law twice weekly for ChiGong exercise classes, prepared morning breakfast, and started the woodstove fires each winter morning. Helen was a strong, warm, and caring mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend to many. She loved the Lord Jesus with all of her heart, and truly loved her neighbors as herself. She will be greatly missed.

Helen is survived by her 4 sons: Jeffrey, Martin, Douglas (Rea), Charles (Jean), grandchildren: Jessica, Jeremy, Ezra, Alicia, Nathaniel, Karen, Zach, and great grandsons, Quinland and Noah. Memorial service will be held in the summer on the Gould family ranch in Boulder.