Helen was born in 1907 in a very small apartment on San Rafael St. in Portland, Oregon that rented for $10 a month. In those days ice was delivered in wagons for ice boxes.There were bakery wagons and vegetable wagons. Gardens and fruit trees were a major source of food. Horses and buggies were the chief means of transportation, although Portland did have street cars.
She married Elmer Darden in 1934, and they had three children; Carol, Roger, and Dennis. They were divorced in 1962. Helen was living in Yakima, WA at the time, and working at the courthouse. Later she worked for the State of Washington as a field agent for the welfare department.
After her son Dennis died in 1974, she moved to Vancouver, WA where she and her daughter Carol bought a house. Carol died of cancer in 2003, and Helen sold the house in 1974 and moved to Bridgewood Retirement Home. She moved to Van Mall Retirement Home in 2010.The quality of the food was much better. In October, 2015 she was placed in Avamere Rehabilitation of Cascade Park where she died November 26.
