Helen Mary Griffin

Helen was born in a log cabin outside of White Sulfur Springs, Montana. She joined her older sister, Georgine, and her parents, George and Mildred Barber. Later her sister, Agnes, and brother, Daniel would come along.

Her parents were attempting to homestead in Montana which required continued residence on the land. Her father, an ordained minister, worked the land and traveled between two churches to preach, often gone for long periods of time.

Giving up this struggle and the cold Montana winters, the family decided to go to California but when they reached Denver they realized that their funds were too low to continue. So they stayed in Colorado making their home there where they managed to make a meager living and raise their children.

Helen was able to go to Colorado Women’s College for a while during which time she met Richard (Dick) Griffin at a Presbyterian church camp. They fell in love and got married in November 1937. Their first child, Dicksie, arrived in August 1938. This event forced Dick to leave the Colorado School of Mines and set up an electrical wiring business to support his family. He and Helen lived in Wheat Ridge, Colorado on the same property with his parents. In addition to homemaking, Helen helped with the business. Then during WW II they suspended both the business and having babies, while Dick repaired the electrical systems of B-29s at Lowry Air Field.

After the war, they quickly had two more children - daughter Judy, son Richard Jr., and five years later, daughter Joan. Helen continued to help with Dick’s business – doing all the paperwork, answering the phone, traveling around town for parts, and often manning his newly built TV and appliance store.

When their oldest daughter, Dicksie, was baptized at Trinity Baptist Church in 1956, the family also began attending and became members. Always active in the church, Helen eventually taught Sunday school. Interestingly, one of her students would eventually marry one of her grandsons. After her children grew up and left the nest, Helen began teaching for Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) and continued volunteer support until 2008 when she could no longer drive.

In their retirement years Dick and Helen took many trips in various locations in the world with Dick’s father, Harold. So after Harold died and following years of active membership at Trinity, Dick and Helen began to attend Harold’s church, Alameda Heights United Methodist Church.

In 1997 Dick and Helen, through the help of son, Rich, his wife, Carolyn, and daughter, Judy, severely downsized and moved to Heather Gardens. After Dick’s passing in 1998, Helen began attending Heather Gardens Chapel. As it turns out, one of the original founders of Heather Gardens Chapel, Paul Anderson, was also a friend and former member of Trinity Baptist Church.

Helen continued to attend Heather Gardens Chapel participating in the prayer chain until she became sick and needed to go into full-time nursing care in 2012 at Life Care Center. With son, Richard’s help she continued Bible study with Our Daily Bread and also played bingo every week (winning most of the time!) until two weeks before she passed. Many family members celebrated her 102nd birthday with her on April 28 before she went home to be with her Lord a week later.

Helen outlived her three siblings and their spouses. She is survived by four children, nine grandchildren, thirteen great grandchildren and one great, great grandchild on the way.