Helen Charlo
courtesy photo
Helen Charlo
ELMO — Helen Charlo, age 100, passed away on Dec. 13, 2017, surrounded by her family at her home in Elmo.
She was born on June 7, 1917, in a teepee in Elmo to John and Josephine Couture. She was the youngest of five children. She attended school in Kalispell, Sunny Slope School in Polson and in St. Ignatius. During her school years she played center for her basketball team.
In 1934, she married Samuel Hewankorn and they had five children together: Eugene, Henry, Leona, Florence and Christine. Samuel passed away in the 1960s. In the early 1970s, Helen married Tony Charlo and they set up their household in Elmo. In 1978, they adopted her grandson Sammy.
Helen held many jobs including working in the orchards thinning and picking apples. She served as powwow police with her partner in crime, Adeline Mathias. She spent many summers picking huckleberries in Buckhorn, traveling to different powwows to play Stickgame, and to different places for Bingo. She was also a very talented hide tanner and did beautiful beadwork.
During her later years, she was a Kootenai Language Instructor at Salish Kootenai College and Two Eagle River School. She made a great impact on many of her students with her unique teaching techniques and humor.
Helen is preceded in death by her two sons, Eugene and Henry; outlived her two husbands; three brothers, Pete, Joseph and Alex; one sister, Madeline; her mother and father; and numerous nieces, nephews and grandchildren.
She is survived by her three daughters: Leona of Worley, Idaho, Florence of Polson, and Chrissie of Big Arm; her son, Sam of Ronan, and her step-son, Victor of Dixon. Helen was blessed with 13 grandchildren, 31 greatgrandchildren, nine great great-grandchildren, with two more great grandchildren due in 2018.
Services have been held.
Memories and condolences may be sent to the family at: www.thelakefuneralhomeandcrematory.com.
Arrangements are under the direction of The Lake Funeral Home and Crematory.
