Helen Savage

Helen Kathryn Savage, 92, passed away on September 10, 2012 at the Sidney Health Center in Sidney, MT of natural causes.Family services will be held at a later date.Schnider Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.Helen was born on April 1, 1920 in Armington, Montana to Frank and Anna (Wardinsky) Cooper.She joined Florence Frances, her older sister, and later welcomed Maxine Julia, her little sister, in 1923.Helen attended grades 1 through 8 at the Armington School House and then went on to Belt Valley High School where she graduated in 1937.She was united in marriage to Frank John Savage on February 21, 1942 in Fort Benton, Montana.He passed away in December of 1981.Helen was devoted to her family who affectionately came to know her as Granny.Helen was a woman of faith, who most enjoyed the simple things in life whether it was watching her family fly fish in the upper reaches of Belt Creek, picking wild raspberries and asparagus along Otter Creek near Raynesford, or feeding the Canadian geese and ducks at Gibson Park in Great Falls.She loved visiting Glacier Park and spending summer vacations at Lake Blaine.Helen was an exceptional cook and was particularly proud of her pie crust and blueberry pies, the recipe of which remained a secret until of late.Throughout her life, Helen was an avid reader who believed in the importance of faith, education and hard work to sustain ones life.After high school graduation, she left Armington and was employed at the Great Falls Clinic as a secretary for five years.During WWII she was a secretary for Ellerbe and Company Architects and Engineers of St. Paul, contractors for the construction of Malmstrom AFB.In 1967, she was employed by the State of Montana at the local social and rehabilitation office as an accounting supervisor for 20 years until her retirement in 1987.Helen was a member of Central Catholic High School Mothers Club, Holy Family, Lady of Lourdes, and Holy Spirit Catholic Churches, Rainbow Garden Club, CM Russell Museum and Benefis Auxiliary.After her retirement, she was a volunteer at the CM Russell Museum, Gift of Life Housing, and Benefis West Heights Surgery Center.Helen is survived by her son, Robert (Diane) Savage of Sidney;grandsons Luke (Tracy) Savage of Sidney, and Ryan Savage of Yuma, AZ; and great-grandsons, Mikael Frank, Matthew Robert, and Andrew Ronald, all of Sidney.She is preceded in death by her parents; her two sisters, Florence Frances Bolland and Maxine Julia Bestwina; and an infant brother, Frank Cooper, Jr.In lieu of flowers, donations in Helens name are suggested to the Animal Foundation of America, PO Box 3426, Great Falls, MT 59403 or a charity of ones choice.Condolences may be left for the family at www.schniderfuneralhome.com.