Helena Heider

If anyone deserved to live a long happy life it was Helena (Helen) Cathryn Heider. She was one unique and special lady! Born to Matilda and Thomas Heider on April 3, 1914, Helen and her brother Tim grew up on property their mother had homesteaded north and west of Rapelje, Montana. The family diligently worked together to eke out a meager lifestyle on their farm. Helen graduated from high school, attended Montana Normal School in Billings, and then taught in several one room schools in the Rapelje area. In 1943, the family moved to a 10 acre farm in South Billings, and shortly after that Helena began working at Yellowstone County Hospital. She worked in the kitchen and wherever else she was needed and lived in the employee residence next to the facility. Helen never married, but devoted herself to helping her parents and others whose paths she crossed in her very quiet way. Her father died in 1953; her mother in 1957. She was devastated by the losses and dedicated her free time to maintaining their farm. In the mid 1960s, Helen was forced to sell her farm to the State to make way for the new I-90 freeway. She was fortunate to find a small rental house just across the street from her job--what by then had become Yellowstone County Nursing Home--and began a new era of her life. As her landlady became older, Helen devoted much of her time helping the woman. Helen was gifted the home when the lady died as gratitude for all she had done for her. Helen repaid the gift by quietly donating whatever she could to various charities in the area. Helen found joy in her work in serving others, and continued to work until her 70th birthday. The nursing home was privatized by then, and eventually became known as Eagle Cliff Manor. After retirement, Helena busied herself by sewing on her treadle sewing machine, reading, solving crossword puzzles, and taking long walks and bus rides. She began cleaning up the roadsides in the Heights as she walked, sorting and recycling what she found, making friends along the way. She also established friendships with drivers and passengers as she regularly rode buses to run errands, or just to socialize. She lived very independently until, at 93, she had a fall getting off a bus. When she was finally forced to seek another place to live, she sought out a familiar place. She lived at Eagle Cliff Manor and received loving care from the staff, much like she had given others for so many years, until her death at 97 on November 26, 2011. In addition to her parents, Helena was preceded in death by her brother Tim and his wife Dorothy Heider. She is survived by family from out-of-state: a loving niece, Cheri and her husband Steve Penttila; their children and spouses, Shelly and Mark Chamberlin, Scott and Chrissy Penttila, and a great, great grandniece, Amanda Chamberlin. She will live on as an inspiration to them all. Service: A memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 3 p.m. at Dahl Funeral Chapel, 10 Yellowstone Avenue in Billings.