Helen M. Aakre was born Helen M. Tremmel Oct. 17, 1917, in Ashton, Iowa, and was
called back to the Lord on her 92nd birthday. She married Hjalmer I. Aakre in
Ashton, Aug. 15, 1940, and they and their new baby boy moved to Portland in late
1941. Hjalmer preceded Helen in death Dec. 1, 1990. Helen and family were
members of Assumption Catholic Church. She was very active in the church and
school, working tirelessly to help make things easier for anyone in need. Helen
was involved in Brownies, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, altar boys,
patrol boys, PTA, and the altar society. Feeding people was very important to
Helen and she was always busy feeding family, friends, her children's school
friends, neighbors or anyone that she heard needed something. A heart of gold is
the best way to describe Helen. Helen worked as a crane operator and other jobs
at Swan Island Shipyards in Portland during World War II. After the war, she
spent time raising her children and working at a cannery. When the children were
berry-picking age, she even became a straw boss in the strawberry fields so that
kids would have something to keep them busy and enable them to make money for
school clothes or other necessities. In 1958 she went to work at Nabisco,
packing cookies, but soon began running machinery. Next she began working at
Tektronix, Inc., an electronics firm in Beaverton. She started out in the
plastics department and worked there until her retirement. She was preceded in
death by her parents Charlie and Kate Tremmel; and 11 siblings. Helen is
survived by her children, Ken and Gloria Aakre, Cathy Coates, and Judie and
James Huddleston, all in the Portland area; grandchildren, Steven and Darren
Aakre, Cami (Coates) Esser, and John and Michael Huddleston;
great-grandchildren, Kassara Aspen Esser and Sawyer Hjalmer Aakre; 52 nieces and
nephews; and the Abel Martinez family. A Mass of Christian burial will be
celebrated at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct.22, 2009, in Holy Redeemer Catholic Church
on North Rosa Parks Way (Portland Boulevard). In lieu of flowers, please make
contributions to the St. Vincent de Paul or cancer research.

Published in The Oregonian on October 21, 2009
Thanks to Shirley Jacobchick for the above