To Rick and his extended family~

Your Trinity Church family in North Bay grieves with you the loss of a beloved mom, and celebrates with you her long, important, and very influential life. She must have been so deeply proud of her accomplishments and of her family.

Helen is with Carl and with David, now. Surrounded by the light and peace that she deserves. “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

God bless you all with peace, comfort, healing and strength–

Rev. Ted Harrison on behalf of Trinity, North Bay.

You will be missed Aunt Helen. From early memories of visiting you and Uncle Carl to later memories of doing puzzles with you in Mitchell at Grandma’s, you will remain in my heart as a dear great aunt. It was a pleasure to have you present at family gatherings when I visited home. My thoughts and condolences to the family.

To Helen’s Family
Helen and Carl were very special friends of my mother, Greta Gibson, during the time she lived in Lucan. I have so many fond memories of Helen, my Mom, Muriel, and Mabel and visiting and playing crockinole, dominoes and sharing fruit bread and a cup of tea together. Helen was a very kind, caring lady and always thinking of others.
Thinking of you,

Margaret Jean

Dear Richard and Charles,

Helen was a first cousin to my mother, Irene (Millson) Watkinson. In the 1950’s Helen and Carl would stay at the cottage on Diamond lake and visit with us. Lots of fun when our two families played together. In later years I met her at most Millson reunion picnics. She was always a classy lady. She had a ready smile, a generous heart, a great work ethic, a lively outlook on life and lots of will-power.

I always looked forward to a visit with her at the reunions and loved her slow drawling way of speaking and her insights into people and events.

What a wonderful example of a life well-lived. The whole Millson family connection will miss her.

Our thoughts will be with you on Saturday as you say goodbye to your mom.

Shirley (Watkinson) Jordan

My memories of Aunt Helen are many. Over the years the Banting family stepped in and out of ours regularly, making the trek from Kapuskasing to Hamilton in the early years, helping with renovations at the cottage in Orrville and then visiting Mom and Dad in Florida. I can remember being a young girl and Aunt Helen, on one of her visits “encouraged” to us understand that a breakfast of Red River Cereal would do us well. We knew very early on that arguing the point with her was futile. She had this quiet determined look on her face and you just knew you were going to lose that battle. Many years later when I had children of my own, I remember her coming with Mom to look after our boys and accompanied them to a concert of The Arrogant Worms. She took great interest in all the children but found 9 year old Nigel particularly amusing as he sang every word and was singing along. She had a great smile and he for some after referred to her as the nice woman with the very white hair. Most of all, I hold a dear memory of her when my father Cameron Douglas was dying of cancer. She came to assist my mother, Shirley and I as we nursed Dad in my home. She was in her eighties by then and could turn our patient with the ease of a young nurse. We spent some time at his bedside, reminiscing about earlier years, stories of being in Orrville and losing her eldest son David. Once I came in to the room and found her sitting on a stool, with her hands folded on her lap, eyes closed taking a power nap. She had a very contented peaceful expression on her face. She was on duty.
I will miss you Aunt Helen. You mattered to me and mine.

Our Heartfelt Condolences to all of Helen’s Family’s We’ve know Carl & Helen for years we were neighbors, they built there home across from us on Butler St so many years ago I did Helen’s hair until she left and went to Mitchell from Prince George. Helen was a Beautiful Caring Lady Lived and spoke of her Family all the time did so much for her church quilting and church suppers whatevee Helen was there to lend a helping hand What a Great Age You Lived Too Helen, Miss You Love You ❤My Thoughts and Prayers
Sue Heffernan

To Helen’s Family

We would like to express our sincere thoughts to all of Helen’s Family. Carl and Helen built next to us on Butler Street and were wonderful neighbours. She was a very kind special person. We shared many cups of tea and caring conversations. Although her family lived a distance from her she was close to them and spoke so fondly of each one. Sorry we are unable to attend the funeral as we are away.

To Helen family
May years of seeing her out and about on Bulter St visiting with Muriel her sister In law and church.
She was a lady of grace and caring.

Blessings

We met Helen only a couple times; at Charles and Debra’s wedding, again several years later. Found her to be a lovely woman, full of grace, warmth and charm. Condolences to all the family, feeling secure that memories will be long treasured.
Chuck and Harriet McCready, Parrsboro Nova Scotia.

To Aunt Helen’s family

Your mum, our Aunt Helen, was always a favourite in the ET branch of the family. Each of us have fond memories of her. In particular, she and our mum, Lynn Banting, were very close. In part, I suspect it was because they were both in-laws who married into a pretty tightly knit Banting clan. They also raised their families at the same time. But was also because Helen was a gracious person with such an infectious laugh.

Marilyn and I are very sorry to miss the funeral. We are out of the country and get back too late. But you are in our thoughts. Condolences and best wishes to you all.

To Helen’s Family
My thoughts have been with you during this time. I remember many chats with Helen at Lucan United Church as we were both nurses and grew up in the Mitchell area. She was a lovely friendly lady with a great sense of humor. Cherish all your memories, knowing that she will always be watching over you.

To Helen’s family. I remember Helen as a lovely lady who was a good friend of my mother, Marj Park. Helen loved to walk and was an inspiration to many. My sincere condolences Barb Coughlin

To Helen’s Family

Helen and Carl were so good to my Dad and Mom they visited with them every week for a couple of years , played cards and had tea and treats and would also bring fresh strawberries in the season. Helen, Mom and Muriel enjoyed quilting. Helen was so caring and always had such a nice smile.

Sincere Sympathy

So many great memories of Aunt Helen. Perhaps because of the extensive visiting amongst our Skinner family or that Dave and Rich lived with us while going to school but mostly because of who she was.
Taking the fish we caught in Remy Lake and turning It into one of the best meals I’ve ever had and,in the process, saving what had been a disastrous family camping trip. Hosting my buddies and I in Kagawan on a teenage roadtrip; they talked about it for years.
Emptying mom’s cupboards and putting down new shelf paper because”it needed to be done and she had the time”. The summer Rich and I had lived in our house in Hamilton, she appeared at the end of August to tackle two months of dirt before her sister got home. Her only comment was that she had never seen so much hair in a shower, “probably because her boys were blondes”. Had to love her.
Aunt Helen always brought purpose, generosity and love to our lives.
Her later years were often difficult as she drifted away, but when she came to mom’s for our family occasions or we visited her at the Villa, there was always some spark, some contribution that kept her special, kept as our Aunt Helen.
To Hildi, Charles and Deborah, Rich and Cherie and your kids and grand kids, our family shares your loss as it is also ours, but also our wonderful memories of your mom grandma and great grandma.

My sincere condolences to all of you. When I think of Helen, the first word that comes to mind is grace. I first met Helen at Lucan United Church. She was always so welcoming and friendly. I got to know Helen well on a road trip to Sarnia. My mom and her sister-in-law (I believe) lived in the same condo building so we drove down together for the weekend. We had such a great conversation on the way there and back. We continued to have many chats and interesting discussions over the years and even though we didn’t always agree on the subject matter that was okay with both of us (she could be as stubborn as me). I hadn’t seen Helen since I retired and moved out of the Lucan area and she to Mitchell but will always remember her as the gracious, kind, caring and intelligent woman that she was. She thought so much of her family and I know that you will miss her greatly.

We are sorry that we were not able to make it down to the service yesterday, but we are happy that we were able to be there for her 100th birthday a few short months ago.
Aunt Helen was always a wonderful mentor to me. I looked forward to our trips to Manitoulin Island to visit. Hanging the clothes on the line, polishing the furniture, picking strawberries, baking and trips to the beach were things I enjoyed doing for and with Aunt Helen. Kagawong was a little slice of paradise for me.
April