Helen I. Grande

Helen Irene Grande, 85, was welcomed into heaven on May 9, 2018. She was our beloved mom, grandma, and Gigi. She passed away at Central Washington Hospital from the effects of a severe stroke. Mom was born to Jacob and Marie Besel on July 18, 1932, in Waterville, Wash. She attended Waterville schools and was Princess Waterville in 1950. She married Edward Grande August 23, 1952, and they moved to San Clemente Calif., where he was stationed with the Marine Corps. When Dad’s tour of duty was complete, they returned to Waterville where they made their home and raised their six children. Helen’s home was always busy and her door was always open; she often would set an extra plate or two at the table in the mornings just in case. She loved to bake for her family, perfecting her bread-making skills over the years. She also loved to sing and taught her children to stay on pitch and harmonize, teaching them a variety of songs from the ‘40’s, ‘50’s, and folk tunes from the ‘60’s. Mom was a hard worker having worked at the telephone company, the Post Office, she cleaned houses, she was a caregiver, and 22 years as the curator for the Douglas County Museum in Waterville. Her knowledge of Douglas County history was extensive. To say she knew where the bodies were buried would be an understatement. Not only did she know where they were buried but she would often give directions to the rural cemeteries to those seeking information, or she would drive out to the old cemeteries to take pictures of the headstones and mail them to those inquiring. She volunteered at the Thrift Store and became known as the “button lady” after she began sewing buttons onto cards when she could no longer consistently work at the store. She was a lifetime member of the United Lutheran Church. She enjoyed meeting new people and treasured her friends. In a day when corresponding by mail was routine, she excelled at this, even up to her death. She was asked by a very young girl who lived in Hawaii, “Would you be my pen pal?” Mom said, “yes,” of course, and she and Stacy Oda-Segundo were pen pals for 30 years. Mom had a great sense of play and a wonderful sense of humor, and she loved being a grandma and a great-grandma. She was a strong woman who loved her family well and knew her community was special. She was resilient, having repeatedly battled back from serious health issues, and it is with heavy hearts that we say our goodbyes. She is survived by her two sons, Mike (Joyce) Grande of Waterville and Kerry (Betsy) Grande of Freedom, Idaho; her daughter Dorothy (Brian) Borneman of Waterville; her daughter-in- law Theresa Grande of Wenatchee; 13 grandchildren, Rachel (Omar) Soto, Hannah (Steve) Ott, Josie (Ben) Foxglove, Jacob and Collin Grande, Hoku and Moana Judd, Anthony, Ryan and Ethan Grande, Keilah (Matt) Johnson, Elizabeth Borneman and Abigail (Shaun) Rohrich, and five great- grandchildren Tony, Georgia and Ysabella Soto, Ruby Jean and Iris Ott. She was preceded in death by her husband Ed Grande, her daughter Gail Judd, son in-law Bill Judd, and her sons David and Tony. A celebration of Helen’s life is scheduled for Saturday, July 21 at 11 a.m. at the United Lutheran Church in Waterville. In lieu of flowers, please consider making donations to the Douglas County Museum, P.O. Box 63, Waterville, WA 98858, or to the Waterville Swimming Pool P.O. Box 580, Waterville. If you have a favorite memory or story about Helen, please email that to helengrandememorial@gmail.com or mail it to Dorothy Borneman at P.O. Box 1002, Waterville. We will share as many of those memories as possible at her celebration.

Tributes

Helen I. Grande

July 18, 1932 - May 9, 2018