- Date Of Birth: January 27, 1930
- Date Of Death: February 12, 2020
- State: Idaho
Helen Marie McCollum, age 90, died on Wednesday, February 12, 2020, in Boise, Idaho.
Helen was born on January 27, 1930, on the old family farm located in Mountain Grove, Missouri. She wa s the third of seven children born to Reuben F. Gartin and Violet Arbell (Davis) Gartin. Helen graduated in 1948 from Mountain Grove High School where she played softball and was involved in many activities. She then joined her parents and younger siblings who had relocated a year earlier to Notus, Idaho. In 1950 Helen began a career with Sears Roebuck & Company in Caldwell, Idaho. Following her years with Sears, Helen worked for Daly & Company in Boise that later became Piper, Jaffray & Hopwood until they moved their operations to the East coast. Helen worked for Boise Cascade Corporation until her retirement.
As fate would have it, Sears, where Helen worked as a young woman, was located directly across the street from the home of Wesley and Ilano McCollum, parents of a handsome Marine, Wesley Jack McCollum. Helen and Jack met, dated and married on September 14, 1955, at Wilder, Idaho. They enjoyed 52 years together doing all the things, big and small, that they loved most, including simply driving in the rain. They had a beautiful yard and vegetable garden that was the envy of many gardeners, and they enjoyed sharing the bounty with neighbors, friends and family. They were especially fond of fishing, whether bass fishing in the Boise area or salmon fishing in Alaska. Together they cruised and toured interesting places in Europe. Helen was an avid golfer and also excelled at bowling and hiking. She and Jack were enthusiastic BSU football fans and season ticket holders which she maintained following Jack’s death until her health no longer allowed her to attend home games. They loved many dogs throughout the years.
Family members always said that Helen was the “glue” that kept the scattered family together and her home was always a hub of activity.
She is survived by two sisters, LaVonna Latimer Schwasinger of Boise and Nancy A. (Quentin) Smith of Nampa; three brothers, Wayne A.”Buck” (Marilyn) Gartin, Silverdale, WA; Frank E. (Verna Ridley) Gartin, Boise and Davis Doyle “Dave” Gartin, Phoenixville, PA; and a sister-in-law, Jody (Bill) Clement of Tulsa, OK. Twenty-six nieces and nephews from both sides of the family were near and dear to her heart.
