Helen's Obituary

Helen Lucille Smith was born on June 27, 1934, in Bicknell, Indiana, to William and Lorene Hedrick. She was the fifth of six children. She had a happy childhood and when she graduated from high school attended Purdue University  obtaining a degree in home economics. She began teaching at Sandborn High School in Indiana where she met Curtis Bruce Smith. A short time later, they were married on August 10, 1958, in Bicknell. They had a wonderful life together raising six children. In the last seven years, Helen fought ovarian cancer which finally took her life on June 16, 2015. Helen loved being a wife and a mother. She would do anything for her family. Her greatest joy came from seeing her children succeed and develop a love for God. She loved to cook and not only was a home economics teacher but also worked in 4-H helping youth with their cooking requirements. Later, as her children grew up and left home, she would prepare for their visits home by stocking her freezer with home-cooked meals and goodies. She loved music and on long car trips would sing with the family to make the time pass faster. She loved work and once told Bruce that she wanted to die working. She planted a garden every year and enjoyed her homegrown fresh vegetables. She also liked to read and do the crossword puzzles in the newspaper. Helen was passionate about freedom, liberty, and the blessings of living in this country. Each card or letter she mailed to family and friends included her constant prayer: "God bless America, land that I love." In addition to loving her family and country, Helen loved God and Jesus Christ. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served faithfully in the church Primary, Relief Society, and Seminary organizations. She and Bruce served for 18 months as workers in the Chicago Illinois Temple; they also served as missionaries at the Bishop's Storehouse in Naperville, Illinois, for 18 months. She truly lived her life according to the Golden Rule and gave many hours of service to her fellowmen. She would take a meal to someone in need, listen for hours on the phone to someone who needed a friend, write a card or a letter to someone who was going through a tough time and always had a smile, a warm hug, or a kind word to all who needed one. She is survived by her sister Sandra (David) Allen, Vincennes, IN; her children Nancy (Bill) Nicholas, Sellersburg, IN; Curtis (Marla) Smith, Mitchell, SD; Roger (Heidi) Smith, Sugar City, ID; Kent (Janeal) Smith, Lehi, UT; Linda (Rob) Ogle, Woodstock, IL; and Billy (Josette) Smith, Holiday, UT. She is grandmother to 24 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Bruce, an infant sister Doris, brothers Lowell and Dwight, and sister Billie. Visitation will be held on Friday, June 19, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 411 N. O'Plaine, Road, Gurnee, IL 60031 from 4:00 to 8:00 pm. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, June 20 at the Church at 11:00 am with burial to follow at Highland Memorial Park, 33100 N. Hunt Club Road, Libertyville, IL. Arrangements entrusted by the family to Gurnee Salata Funeral Home, 4190 Old Grand Avenue, Gurnee IL.

Published in Chicago Suburban Daily Herald on June 18, 2015