Helen Hone Ingalls

In Loving Memory

Helen Beatrice Hone Ingalls
3/27/1929 - 2/8/2008

Mother was born in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada on March 27, 1929 to Charles and Anna Hone. She was the youngest of four children: Howard was sixteen years older, Marge was twelve years older, and Dot was five years older.

Since her father was the manager of a lumber mill quite a distance from town, Helen was home schooled through second grade. Her only friend, other than her sister Dot, was George, the cook's son. Between the three of them, what one couldn't think of the other one did. Mom and George pulled such pranks as climbing onto the roof and dropping snowballs down the cook's stovepipe. Mom and Dot thought they were being "helpful" and "washed" the foreman's new car with Brillo pads. As Mom got older, she and Dot would board in Vancouver during the school year with the Southey's, who had children their age. Mom and Gwen Southey remained good friends to this day.

When World War II began, her family moved back to Bellingham, Washington where she went to high school and became a U.S. citizen. Her father ran a small, country grocery store with several gas pumps out front. Mom often worked in the store and pumped gas for customers. One summer she worked the graveyard shift for a canning company, separating the worms from the peas on a conveyor belt.

Mom and Dad met while both were attending Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington, and working in the dining room. Mother was the waitress for the faculty table and Father was a bus boy. Dad would try to make Mom laugh, which was against the rules. Mom was the life of her dorm and pulled many pranks, such as hiding all of the dining room silverware in the grand piano.

When Dad's Army unit was activated for Korea, Mom and Dad were married in the home of her sister, Marge, on January 5, 1951. Mother graduated from Whitworth College in the Spring of 1951 with a BA in Christian Education. After graduation, she traveled to Acme, Wyoming to meet Dad's family. Upon returning to Bellingham, WA, Mom worked as the Minister of Education in a small church.

After Dad was discharged from the Army in 1952, Mom and Dad settled in Boulder, Colorado. Mom first worked as a billing clerk for Ralston Purina and later secretary to the head of the Psychology department at the University of Colorado while Dad finished his degree. Initially Mom and Dad lived in a 30-foot trailer, including the hitch, and then in the married housing, which was converted military barracks. Linda, their first child, was born in 1954. When Dad graduated and got a job with Armco Steel, we moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Larry, their second child, was born in 1958, and Don, their third child, was born in 1959. Dad was transferred to Houston in 1960 where Mom and Dad lived until 1991 when they moved to La Grange.

Mom was a loving mother and consummate homemaker. When we would get home from school, Mom would call to us and we would find her to tell her about our day. Mother preferred to have all of the neighborhood children at our house rather than somewhere else. She was truly sad when summer was over and we had to go back to school. Our home was full of love and laughter and music, as Mom played both the piano and organ.

Mother loved to sew and sewed all of our clothes when we were younger. In one of our homes was a large, walk-in closet that Dad had converted into a sewing room for Mom. It was also a storage closet but we would all be in the closet with Mom when Dad got home from work. We could quote what he was going to say: "2,400 square feet in this house and you are all in the closet". We were there because Mom was there.

Mom and Dad were teachers of the Sunday School College and Career class for many years in the 1960's. Their home was always open to class gatherings and was often wall-to-wall people. One New Year's eve, there was an impromptu gathering at our house and there were young people crammed into every room of the house. On Sunday evenings, our den would be full of class members singing hymns. At times the volume was so loud, Dad had to open the top of the piano so it could be heard over the singing. When class members needed a place to stay, Mom opened the guest bedroom for as long as they needed it. One abused young woman stayed with us for several months. Later Mom and Dad became involved with the Sunday School Young Married class, where Mom spent many hours mentoring young mothers.

After we were grown, the Lord blessed Mother with a career. Mom started M & H Publishing, a specialized publishing company for books for nursing homes, of which she served as the CEO from 1982 to 1997. Not only did Mother blossom as a business woman but God greatly blessed her financially.

In 1994, Mom supported Dad as they became part of the Texas Baptist Church Builders (TBM), an organization that supplies the labor to build churches that otherwise would not be able to afford to build new facilities. In this ministry, they have traveled to 57 locations in Texas, New Mexico, California, and Colorado. The builders became very dear to our parents and Mom loved them very much.

For some time now, Mom has been by Dad's side as he taught Sunday School in the Love & Laughter class. Both Mom and Dad have been ministered to by the class as well as the rest of Second Baptist Church.

After Mom's oldest sister, Marge, went to be with the Lord, Mom "adopted" Marge's only daughter, Janet. She also kept in touch with her brother's only daughter, Barbara. Both relationships were ministries in their own way.

Mom loved to read. She never went anywhere without a book or four (or six or eight). She spent many hours doing elaborate needle work that now graces all of our homes. In the 1970's, Mom, Dad and Don took up backpacking. Mom hiked the Grand Canyon, Bryce National Park, and portions of the Lone Star Trail and the Appalachian Trail.

Whenever she was sitting down in her home, she was "the lap" for their furry-faced daughter, Bonnie, a 15-year-old Canadian Rag doll cat.

Larry and his wife, Linda, gave Mom and Dad three grandchildren, Daniel, Christina, and Sarah. Mother loved her grandchildren and was very proud of them. Mom and Dad were particularly pleased when Don, a confirmed bachelor, married Toni. Mother felt very blessed to have two beautiful daughters-in-law.

Mom and Dad were married 57 years; the two were joined at the hip. They completed and complimented each other. Mom and Dad were prayer warriors and my greatest source of strength here on this earth. Mom was my best friend.

Mom is now in the midst of a great family reunion in Heaven. We rejoice for her and know that she is reaping her Heavenly reward.

With love by her children,
Linda, Larry, and Don