Jean Helgason

In Loving Memory of

Jean Helgason

Graveside Service

Sunday, August 9, 2020

2:00 p.m.

Icelandic Holar Cemetery

~ Please bring a chair ~

Jean passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, on July 30, 2020 at Lumsden Heritage Home in Lumsden, Saskatchewan at the age of 88.

She was born on January 22, 1932 in Humboldt, Saskatchewan to James Cruickshank and Henrietta Anderson Gauld.

Jean married Clifford Owen Helgason on November 5, 1951 and they spent almost 50 years together until his death in 2001. He often said she was “a keeper” and he was the love of her life.

She was a daughter, sister, farmer’s wife, homemaker, mother of eight, grandmother of fifteen and great grandmother of twenty-nine with two more on the way!

She was a 4-H leader and a member of the Bankend Ladies Guild and the Elfros United Church. She enjoyed taking adult education classes such as reflexology and upholstery in the winter. She enjoyed quilting and other crafts, baking, gardening, and ballroom dancing. She enjoyed hosting many of the Helgason Family Reunions on the family farm with Clifford.

As a mother, Jean was a role model, mentor, expert first aider, referee, taxi driver, hockey mom, president of her children's fan clubs, and (as far as her family was concerned) master baker of the best Vinetarta in the land. She was a jack-of-all-trades, master of most, and she had a heart of gold.

Throughout the years, Jean enjoyed watching her children and grandchildren participate in 4-H, swimming, hockey, figure skating, curling and dancing.

Jean was predeceased by her husband, Clifford, her son Sheridyn, her two brothers Jimmy and Walter and her parents.

Jean is survived by seven of her eight children: Dawn (Frank Whitton Sr) of Victoria, B.C., Gaylene of Regina, SK,  Layne (Lana) of Foam Lake, SK, Dorianne (Jeff) of Regina, SK, daughter-in-law Donna of Regina, SK, Arleigh of Elfros, SK, Morgan of Elfros, SK and Myrne of McLean, SK. Jean is also survived by all of her fifteen grandchildren and twenty-nine great grandchildren; Frank Jr (Chanelle) and their children Jade, Ivy and Frank V; Corbin (Alison) and their son Cohen; Leah (Brad) and their girls Jaeden, Coral and Aubree; Mandy (Kyle) and their boys Caleb, Cobe and Cooper; Jaime and her children Zaeyah and Zachary; Stefan (Tanya) and their children Livia and Odin; Devlyn (Alyssa) and his daughter Rhyann; Garrett and his children Cooper, Oakley and Harlow; Gavin (Brogan) and their children Maci, Layla and Hudson; Shawna and her children Taneil, Thierry and Adero; Tristan (Karli); Arden; Dustin (Kaylee) and their children Charlee and Carter; Jana (Neil) and their children Kaden, Dayne and Kaedyn; and Taiya (Nathan).

Jean will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, her surviving brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, friends, and neighbours. Jean will especially be missed by her childhood friend of 75+ years, Estelle Retieff of Victoria, B.C.

Even in the final stages of her life, the caregivers at Lumsden Heritage Home, where she spent the last five years of her life, enthused about the quiet and gentle demeanor, selflessness, quick wit and humor that were jam packed into that little lady.