Henry George Helms

Henry George Helms

Oct. 29, 1923 -- Jan. 11, 2013

MESA, Arizona -- Henry George Helms, 89 of Mesa, formerly of Loveland, Colorado and Arapahoe, Nebraska, passed away Jan. 11, 2013, at Crismon Peaks Assisted Living in Mesa.

He was born on Oct. 29, 1923, to Henry C. and Bertha (Hinz) Helms on the family farm northeast of Arapahoe. He was baptized and confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church northeast of Arapahoe and also attended the Immanuel Lutheran School through eighth grade. Henry then attended and graduated from Arapahoe High School in 1943. On Dec. 22, 1946, he married Lillian Stillman and they had seven children. Henry enjoyed farming and raised corn, milo, alfalfa, beef and dairy cattle, hogs, turkeys and chickens on farms in the Salem and Immanuel communities before moving to the Stillman family farm in 1962. After Lillion was tragically killed in an accident in 1971, Henry moved to Loveland, where he worked for Hewlett Packard. He met and married Doris Schmidt in 1977 and her three children became part of the family. When they both retired, they enjoyed visiting their children and grandchildren, attending church functions and traveling around the country in their motor home. They became "snowbirds" for a few winters in Mesa, before moving there permanently in 1992.

Henry was preceeded in death by his parents, brother Reinhold Helms, sisters Viola Monter, Bertha Evers, Edna Downing, Loreen Flicker and Alice Irene Helms. He is survived by brothers Edwin (Grace) Helms and Clarence (Lois) Helms, Arapahoe; sisters, Ruth McGhghy, Greeley, Colorado and Lucilla Carr, Elkhorn, Nebraska; his wife, Doris Helms of Mesa and children Linda (Richard) Twidwell, Flagstaff, Arizona; Jeanette (Sonny) Mares, Elkton, Florida; Dale (Deb) Helms, Holbrook, Nebraska; Rhonda (Don) Ems, Mesa; Kim (Joe) Helms, Holbrook; Ron (Priscilla) Helms, Aztec, New Mexico; Brent Helms, Greeley; Mary (Earl) Belisle, Tempe, Arizona; Clayton Schmidt, Driggs, Idaho and Warren Schmidt, Loveland; 38 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.

A celebration of Life Memorial Service will be Jan. 19, 2013, at Christ Greenfield Lutheran Church in Gilbert, Arizona. His ashes will be laid to rest in the Arapahoe, Nebraska cemetery with a Committal Service in June 2013. Memorials given in his memory will be directed to Immanual Lutheran Cemetery, Arapahoe, and Crismon Peaks Assisted Living in Mesa, Arizona.