Helen Westvelt

In Loving Memory of

Helen Westvelt

In consideration of the health and safety of friends and family, a private family service will be held.

Please join the family virtually at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, October 22, 2021 here .

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Helen Westvelt on October 18, 2021 at the age of 91. She will be sadly missed but never forgotten.

Helen was born on March 7, 1930 to parents Leon and Marion (Bankowski) Guicheteau on their farm near Lintlaw, SK. Her baby brother Edward was born three years later. Helen grew up attending St. Eutrope School and helping out on the family farm.

Helen married the love of her life, Lenard Westvelt on June 30, 1948 in Lintlaw, SK. Their son Dale was born in 1949 and daughter Loretta in 1952. They ran a small dairy for 5 years before moving to Winnipeg in 1959 and then Brandon in 1960. They moved “back home” to Lintlaw in 1963 and took over Lenard’s parents’ farm where they ran a mixed farm of grain and registered Hereford cattle. Helen worked alongside Lenard in the field and with the livestock.

In 1983, Lenard and Helen retired to town and built a new house (that Helen designed) where she remained until 2019 when she moved to Kelvington, SK. Helen was involved in many community organizations alongside Lenard – the Lintlaw Legion, Lintlaw “75” Snowmobile Derby, Lintlaw Recreation Centre, Lintlaw United Church and community bingos.

Retirement brought them much enjoyment – touring across the United States and Canada in their motorhome, visiting relatives along the way as well as a trip to Norway in 1998. They also loved fishing, snowmobiling and four-wheeling through the bush, and many afternoons spent out at their farm. They loved socializing and dancing – they lit up the dancefloor. As long as they were spending time together, they were happy.

Helen described herself as a “homebody” – she took great pride in maintaining her house and yard. She loved working in her flower and vegetable gardens, knitting and quilting, baking and visiting with friends and neighbours. However, Helen’s true passion was her family. She would light up when any of her children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren walked through her door or called her on the phone. She had a truly special way of making everyone feel loved.

Left behind to cherish her memories are son Dale (Dianne) Westvelt of Yorkton SK, grandson Jason Westvelt and great-grand-children Logan and Lacey (Yorkton, SK), granddaughter Melissa (Todd Yastrub) Westvelt (Edmonton, AB), granddaughter Kimberly (Martin Echtner) Westvelt (Victoria, BC); daughter Loretta (Jim) Yakimoski (Lintlaw, SK), grandson James Yakimoski (Kelvington, SK), granddaughter Kristin (Ryan) Mottram and great-grand children Cole, Leah and Corwin (Kelvington, SK), granddaughter Lauren (Hector Hernandez) Yakimoski (Kelvington, SK); sisters-in-law Reta Guicheteau (Edmonton, AB) and Margaret Westvelt (Rosthern, SK); and many cousins, grand and great-grand nephews and nieces that she held dear as well as her community.

Helen was predeceased by her beloved husband Lenard, parents Leon and Marion Guicheteau, brother Edward, parents-in-law Martin and Sina Westvelt, brothers-in-law Alfred Westvelt and Ernest Yergens, and sisters-in-law Rubie Westvelt, Darleen Yergens and Dolores Malish.