Helen M. Cory

Helen M. Cory, 92, died peacefully of natural causes on April 2, 2017 at Grandview in Great Falls, MT.A vigil will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 27, 2017 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church for those who wish to attend. A funeral liturgy will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, April 28, 2017 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. A reception in her memory will be held at the Grandview Town Square following the service.Helen was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on November 7, 1924. Her parents Dr. and Mrs. E.A. Cogley moved to Great Falls, MT after her fathers graduation from dental school. There he began his practice. Helen attended Ursuline Academy during her grade school years. She graduated from Great Falls High School in 1943. She attended Montana State University in Bozeman, where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. She then graduated from the University of Minnesota Dental Hygiene School. While there she was president of Alpha Kappa Gamma Dental Hygiene sorority.On July 18, 1946, she married Clifford Dean Cory at Saint Anns Cathedral. They had been high school sweethearts at GFHS. Cliff practiced dentistry in Great Falls for many years until his death in 1987. They had 5 children, Gwen, Gayle, Jim, Bill and Mike. They were lifetime members of the Great Falls Ski Club and spent winters skiing as a family at their Neihart cabin near Kings Hill. Summers were spent at the family cabin on Lindbergh Lake with the lake friends she made. She and Cliff fixed huckleberry pancakes and huckleberry cobbler with ice cream on a regular basis. There was never a dull moment at the Cory home where Helen was the epitome of a camp director.She and Cliff followed their children and grandchildrens sporting events. Helen and Cliff shared the enjoyment of so many sports, including but not limited to: snow skiing, swimming, water skiing, dancing, bird hunting, and training hunting dogs.Helen was the consummate volunteer and devoted time to community organizations, working on many fundraising drives for Easter Seals and the University of Great Falls. She served as a board member of the University of Great Falls Guild. Her interests and responsibilities included the Girl Scouts of America and the YWCA where she taught ballet in the early 60s. She was an active member of the Junior League. In keeping with her dance background as a child, she performed in the Junior League Follies, not to mention the Central Catholic Mothers Club and the Fabulous Flashbacks. She loved dancing and performing with the Golden Slippers. She volunteered as a docent at the CM Russell gallery. Her involvement as an Ursuline Associate and the Catholic Daughters Association were very dear to her and she spent cherished time with the Ursuline nuns. As a member of Chapter AR PEO she was richly rewarded by holding all the different offices including president, which she greatly enjoyed. To the end of her life, she was most appreciative of the love and support of her AR sisters.Helen is survived by her children, Gwen (John) Hanley of Alaska, Gayle (Fred) Wadsworth, Jim (Nancy) Cory all of Great Falls and Bill Cory of Kalispell; grandchildren Heather (Jack) Swanson and Marsi (Chris) Helgeson of Great Falls, Cory Lynn Hanley of Boise, ID, J.J. (Camilla) Hanley of San Francisco, CA and Jason (Jenny) Hanley of Los Angeles, CA, Christopher Dean (Allison) Cory of Quantico, VA, Marion Cory of Washington, D.C. and Brittany Cory (off to college next year); sister Jeanine Wakefield; and her dear cousins with whom she spent much of her childhood, the Binks from Vaughn, MT. She delighted in seeing and attending the activities of her great-grandchildren Keegan, Corbin and Liam Swanson, and Brody and Blake Helgeson of Great Falls; and meeting her newest great-granddaughter, Taylor Hanley Carson of Boise, ID.She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Cliff; youngest son, Mike and sister Kathleen.Helen loved socializing, smiling and eating chocolate. Her family wishes to thank everyone involved in indulging her. She was a cat with 9.5 lives and outlived many challenges that were sent her way.In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Great Falls "public" Library, the Ursuline Academy or the donors choice.