Hellen Ardella Thurston Obituary (1922 - 2015)

Hellen Ardella Thurston April 30, 1922 - September 4, 2015 Our much-loved Hellen quietly passed away at home, surrounded by family in Bremerton, WA on September 4, 2015. She was 93 years old and had a very full and enriching life. She was a very special and precious lady beloved by her husband, children, grand-children, great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. She will be greatly missed by family and friends alike. Hellen was born on April 30, 1922 in Hyrum, UT. Her youth was spent in her beloved "Cache" valley of Utah surrounded by the Forsberg and Summers families. In about 1929, the family moved to Ogden, UT. She completed her formal education at Ogden High in 1941. Hellen married the love of her life, Leonard "Wayne" Thurston just before midnight on April 25, 1941. They spent 57 wonderful years together sharing both the good, bad, and great times. Their first home was in Hollywood, CA during WWII where Wayne worked for Lockheed. Their son, Dennis F Thurston was born in Hollywood, CA on March 16, 1944. They returned to Utah in 1944 when Wayne joined the Navy. Hellen joined him in Norman, Oklahoma. In March of 1946 Hellen and Wayne returned to Ogden, UT. They lived with Hellen's parents temporarily then moved to Washington Terrace, UT. A daughter, Candace Candy Thurston was born to Hellen and Wayne on October 12, 1950. Hellen became a seamstress for the 20th Century Tailoring Mills (Utah Woolen Mills). She developed a love of all things "fabric" from this experience. She worked for many years for the "City of Ogden" in the personnel department. After being employed by the City of Ogden, she became employed by the Defense Depot of Ogden. She retired when they moved to Springfield, VA. They moved back to Ogden in approximately 1978. Their final move was to Layton, UT in 1984. Hellen's final move was in 2005 to Bremerton, WA to live with Dennis and Jan Thurston. She loved the flowers, the greenery, watching the eagles and having coffee while the squirrels were feeding. The "sewing room" was always a fun place to retreat to. She continued loving her baseball, her music, and reading. Could not pass up a change to "dress up" and go out to dinner, especially if it had sweets or whip cream. Hellen and Wayne enjoyed bowling, golfing, hunting and fishing. Hellen was a certified NRA Instructor. They were very fond of cruising which took them around the Caribbean, through the Panama locks and also to Alaska. Road trips took them across the United States. Spring baseball in Florida was always a favorite. Hellen is survived by her son Dennis (Jan) Thurston of Bremerton, WA and daughter Candace "Candy" (Chuck) Crawford of Ottawa, IL. She is also survived by grandson Rob (Jen) Thurston of South Boston, MA, granddaughter Robin (Kevin) Ross of Dimondale, MI, granddaughter Patty (John) Pintarich of Plantsville, CT, granddaughter Teresa Thurston of Rolesville, NC, grandson Chris (Diana) Crawford of Dayton, OH, granddaughter Tiffany (Mark) Nelson of Ocean Springs, MS, granddaughter Katherine (Mike) Walter of White Sulphur Springs, MT, and grandson James (Jen) Saeman of Medford, OR. She is also survived by 16 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Numerous nieces and nephews also survive Aunt Hellen. Hellen is also survived by a very special brother-in-law, Neil (Jean) Thurston of Clinton, UT. Hellen was preceded in death by her father (Fred Forsberg) in 1973, her mother (DeLone Forsberg) in 1989, her husband (Wayne Thurston) in 1998 and brother (DeWayne Thurston) in 1998. Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, September 15, 2015 at the Ogden City Cemetery, 20th and Madison. A viewing will be held on Monday, September 14th from 6 to 8 p.m. at Myers Ogden Mortuary, 845 Washington Blvd and prior to services from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the mortuary. VisitationMyers Mortuary - Ogden 100 Monroe Blvd. Ogden, UT 84404 September 14, 2015 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM ServiceGraveside , September 15, 2015 11:00 AM CemeteryOgden City Cemetery 20th and Madison Ogden, UT 84404 September 15, 2015