Leona Maxine Helms

BURLEY – Leona was born to Mary and Charlie Myers in Maxwell, Nebraska, on December 5, 1922, one of seven children. After 100-plus years her life on this earth ended on Thursday, April 20, 2023.

In her early years the family moved to Boise. Life was not always easy for Leona, but she never gave up. On December 24, 1941, Theodore Austin Helms and Leona were married in Boise, and their marriage was solemnized in the Idaho Falls Temple in 1978. They began their married life in Featherville, Idaho, being the last ones in the area during the winter and the first ones to leave in the spring. At the age of 19, she became the mother to Austin’s three children, Forrest, Gloria, and Wayne. She always loved them and considered them as her own. She would eventually become the mother of six daughters and five sons.

Leona and Austin lived in the Oakley area for many years before moving to the Willow Creek area in 1974. Leona continued to call that her home. One of her favorite things to do was to go for car rides, going to the hills, checking on all the farmlands and just seeing the entire country. Following Austin’s death, Nancy, one of her daughters, took her on many trips while she traveled for work. Later Mary came to live with Mom and take care of her. Mary took her for rides almost daily until recently. Leona took pride in her yard and flowers.

One of Mom’s favorites and often used phrases was “Never Give Up”. She wanted to increase her knowledge of reading and spelling, so at the age of 72 she took lessons in Hooked on Phonics and perfected those skills, one of her many times she never gave up.

Mom was a seamstress making clothes for her children, wedding dresses, masks for nursing homes during Covid, school bags for children at the Gebra Memorial Primary School in Tanzania and many hot pads for friends and all her grandchildren. She was always willing to help everyone at any time. She contributed many hours helping the humanitarian groups. Another hobby she had was ceramics which she shared with family and close friends. Family was very important to her.

Mom was a very hard worker at home and helped with the harvest in the fall. During the potato harvest she would cook hamburgers and chili for the workers in the fields. She had a cook trailer that was moved from one field to another. She always had a garden and canned food to help feed their large family in the winter months.

She held the position of visiting teacher, and she loved spending time with women in her ward. She was always true to her faith.

She is survived by her children, Wayne (Dorothy) Helms of Emmett, Idaho, Mary Reed and Ray (Helen) Helms of Burley, Idaho, Vanda (Harold) Johnson of Filer, Idaho, Nancy (Jerry) Couch of Woods Cross, Utah, and Linda (John) Blunt of Brighton, Colorado; and son-in-law, Kenneth Dixon of Temecula, California. She is also survived by more than 230 grandchildren, including great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, and great-great-great-grandchildren.

Leona was preceded in death by her husband, Austin; daughters, Gloria Dixon and Leona Rasmussen; sons, Forrest, Ted, and Robert; daughter-in-law, Donna Helms; son-in-law, Tom Reed, and four grandchildren.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the Intermountain Hospice Company, especially Dr. Romney, as well as Kathy and Stephanie for the great care and comfort they provided for our mother.

The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 6, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – View 2nd Ward, located at 554 S. 490 E., of Burley. Burial will follow at Marion Cemetery.

Family and friends will be received from 5 until 7 p.m. Friday, May 5, at Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley, and from 10 until 10:45 a.m. Saturday preceding the service at the Church.

A live webcast of the Funeral Service will be available and maintained at the following link: https://youtu.be/61wtK7evgTs.