Helen Anne Klassen

Helen Anne Klassen, 82, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019, after a valiant battle with colon cancer. Her devotion to her family and her unwavering faith in Christ supported her in this struggle and enabled her to face this ordeal with courage and grace.

Helen was born to George and Mildred Redhead on Aug. 23, 1936, in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. At the age of 18, she married Paul Klassen and moved to Aberdeen, ID, where she worked hard alongside her husband on a potato farm. Helen raised three children in addition to gardening, canning, sewing, baking, and entertaining countless families who visited the Klassen farm. Helen loved children and spent many hours volunteering in classrooms at multiple grade levels.

In the early 90s, Helen moved to Vancouver, WA, to live closer to her daughter, Marci, and resided there for the remainder of her life. While in Vancouver, Helen worked as a teaching assistant until retirement age. She then filled her days with caring for her two great-grandchildren, whom she adored beyond measure. Helen loved being surrounded by family, and one of her favorite pastimes was to bring the family together each year for a time of fun and laughter.

Helen is survived by: her daughter, Marci Black (Wayne); her son, Jeff Klassen (Carol); her daughter, Deb Muth (Tom); her grandchildren, Scott (Ashley), Lindsay (Zack), Drew, Carly, Alyssa (Brennan), Cody; and her great-grandchildren, Eli and Noah. She is also survived by: her brother, Dan (Joyce); nephew, Todd (Angie); and niece, Heidi (Dieter).

There was a Celebration of Life at 3 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 11, at Evergreen Memorial Gardens, 1101 NE 112th Avenue, Vancouver, WA, 98664. In lieu of flowers, Helen would be greatly honored to have donations sent to her favorite organization, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (www.cff.org).