June 7, 1922 ~ June 5, 2020
Helen was born on June 7, 1922, in her parents^home in Montpelier, Idaho, the fifth of the six Hansen children. She graduated from Montpelier High School where she was a cheerleader and played the saxophone. A strapping young man named Odell Smith caught her eye with his remarkable moves at a dance in Fish Haven, Idaho, and it was not long before he captured her heart. They were married in the Logan Temple on June 26, 1941, and moved to Ogden, Utah in 1950.
Together, they enjoyed golf, bowling, dancing, cheering for the Utah Jazz, traveling, attending church, and being with friends and family. Helen worked at Kmart Food and Smith's Food Stores as a bookkeeper. Once she and Odell retired, they spent summers working at Yellowstone National Park and staying at their lake house in Bear Lake. They migrated south for winters, taking in the beautiful scenery, playing cards, and sipping Cokes with good friends in sunny St. George.
Helen was famous for her cooking, especially her homemade chicken and noodles, dinner rolls, popcorn balls, cottage cheese dip, and raisin cookies. She gave legendary back rubs, and those in the know would fight for the seat next to her. Known far and wide as "Grandma Smith," she loved regaling friends, as well as strangers, with her life stories. She might have only been five feet tall, but she had a giant heart.
Helen was preceded in death by her husband, who passed in September of 2011, three months after they'd celebrated their 70th Wedding Anniversary.
Helen was survived by her son, Mike Smith of South Weber; and her daughter, Penny Smith Toliver of Ogden. She is also survived by six grandchildren and their spouses, two step-grandchildren and their spouses, and 18 great-grandchildren.
Family graveside services will be held at Lindquist's Washington Heights Memorial Park, 4500 Washington Blvd. Services entrusted to Lindquist's Ogden Mortuary.
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