Helen Marie (Mason) Isom was born October 14, 1932, in Rooks County near Woodston, Kansas, to Lawrence and Winnie (Haines) Mason. She was the oldest of six children, having three brothers and two sisters. She was baptized in the First Methodist Church in Woodston. Helen attended elementary and high school through her junior year in Woodston, KS. She spent her senior year of high school with the family of Nick Heidtschmidt and graduated from Covert High School with the Class of 1950. After high school, Helen moved to Osborne, KS and worked at Duckwalls, JC Penney’s, and several cafes.
Helen met the love of her life, Arden Isom, in January of 1952. They were married on June 22, 1952, on one of the hottest days of the year, and were blessed with seven children: five boys and two girls. At the time of Helen’s passing, they had celebrated 69 years of marriage. During these many years together, they moved several times as that was part of working in the fossil fuel industry and lived in as many as five state in one year.
They settled in Banner County, NE in 1962 where they lived for 27 years. From there, they moved to LaSalle, CO where they were again involved in the fossil fuel industry. During their time in Colorado, Helen had a cleaning business and worked in property management. There were very few that could outwork Helen, a quality she was proud of and instilled in her children. Goodness knows that Helen had a knack for getting everyone up and moving as there was always something that needed to be done! Helen’s first priority was her family and very often, friends became family and were treated as such. Wherever Arden and Helen lived, they had the gift of making many life-time friends, with Helen often keeping a watchful eye on neighbors, sharing meals, and generally just looking out for those around her. Helen was an excellent cook and her kitchen was always open. She was known for her hot rolls, jellies, and cinnamon rolls. Helen took great pleasure in preparing favorite meals for those at her table. Helen loved to garden and to preserve her produce which she gladly shared with those around her. There are many stories about how many loaves of bread and hot rolls she baked while kids were still at home and about the huge gardens planted all over the county just in case one might be hailed on. The Banner County Cookbook was never far away and she made sure all her children and their children had a copy of their own, as it was the “Kitchen Bible.” She took great pride and enjoyment in gathering those important to her and cooking for all of them, which was rarely a small gathering. It is hard to say how many electric roasters Helen has worn out over the years, doing just that.
Helen was involved with and supportive of her children and did whatever she could to attend their many events through the years, often traveling many miles and sometimes in weather that it might have been better stay home in. Many of you might remember the blue station wagon packed with whatever you might need for travel or feeding several hungry kids along the way.
Helen was a lifetime member of the Order of the Eastern Star. Arden and Helen retired back to Ogallala, NE in 2006 to be centrally located among their children. It didn’t hurt to have a lake big enough to put a boat in and spend a little time fishing. Very often, Helen was along to fish but also made sure everyone had a great meal at the end of the day and a bed to stay in for the night.
Helen is survived by her husband, Arden, of 69 years; brother Clifford Mason of Hays, KS; sister Peggy (Gene) Bockeresett of Cuttoff, LA; children: Larry (Gloria) of Lewistown, MT, Thresa Cary of Gillette, WY, Stephen (Jamie) of Valentine, NE, Charles (Michele) of Hemingford, NE, Jerry (Bobbi) of North Platte, NE, and Barbara (Larry) Wolfe of Cheyenne, WY; 17 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; 7 great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, family, and friends.
Helen was preceded in death by her son John Oliver; son-in-law Wayne Cary, parents Lawrence and Winnie Mason, brothers Delane Mason and Dale Lee Mason, and sister Louise Johnson and her husband Arlen.
Helen’s visitation will be held from 4 to 7 PM on Friday, January 14, 2022 at Dugan Kramer Funeral Chapel in Scottsbluff. Her graveside funeral service will be held at 2 PM on Saturday, January 15, 2022 at Chaulk Creek Cemetery with Phillip McConnell officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be left at www.shareomaha.org; select Nebraska Walleye Association Kids Fishing, and use Isom for the code or a charity of the donor’s choice. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.dugankramer.com for the Isom family.