Helen Gildersleeve

Helen Elizabeth Barnard Gildersleeve, 92, of Idaho Falls, passed away September 5, 2016, at MorningStar Senior Living Center. She was under the care of Abode Hospice and her loving family. Helen was born November 12, 1923, in Lamar, Colorado, to Harley Coy Barnard and Effie Lena Heath Barnard. She was raised on the family’s farm outside of Lamar along with her two older brothers. Helen grew up with nearby cousins who maintained lifeline contact. At an early age she learned the value of hard work on the farm. The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl influenced her life to a large degree. She loved to ride horses and care for the animals on the farm. Helen attended schools in Lamar, graduating from Union High School. She then earned an Associate’s Degree from Lamar Junior College before moving to Denver, Colorado, where she continued her education at St. Luke's Hospital School of Nursing, earning her degree as a registered nurse. On July 26, 1947, she married Richard Penn Moore Gildersleeve, Sr. in Denver, Colorado. To this union were born two children, Margaret "Meg" and Richard Penn Moore Gildersleeve, Jr. "Penn." The family lived in Colorado, Montana, Kentucky and Tennessee before moving to Idaho Falls in 1957. Helen worked as a registered nurse for the District VII Health Department as a home health care nurse for nineteen years. She was active in the PTA, was a Girl Scout leader and a Cub Scout den mother. Upon their retirement, Richard and Helen acquired a dilapidated cheese factory in Victor, Idaho, which they converted into a popular art and crafts gift store. Helen was an accomplished artist, selling hundreds of pieces of her artwork at the gift store. She was proud to associate with many gifted artists from Idaho and around the world. Helen was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church. Her hobbies included archaeology and paleontology. She was a founding member of the Upper Snake River Prehistoric Society, and through sponsorship with Idaho State University she worked on several important archeological sites. She enjoyed opera, acquiring antiques, working on jigsaw puzzles, and most of all, the family’s genealogy research. Through the years, she was an avid fan of the Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies, rarely missing a televised game. Helen’s caring nature went well beyond her nursing background. Her disarming smile could heal many of the wounds of life, and she earned the respect of doctors and other nurses, but most of all the patients that she helped in life transitions. Many life lessons and important values were passed on to her two children and they all enjoyed the time they spent together over the years. She was a very devoted wife to Richard, serving as his care-giver until she herself needed that same assistance. Even in the last days of their being together, the married couple could be seen holding hands and exchanging loving glances that only partially revealed the true lessons learned through many years of married bliss. After celebrating 69 years of marriage, she was preceded in death by her husband, Richard, less than a month ago. Their forever relationship can best be described by the Latin saying "Ubi idem et maximus et honestissimus amor est, aliquando preaestat morte jungi quam vita distrahi." Helen is survived by her daughter, Margaret E. (Frank) Pipkin of Phoenix, AZ; son, Penn (Marilyn) Gildersleeve of Evergreen, CO; grandson, Frederick Gildersleeve of Clarkdale, AZ; grandson, Zachary (Ann) Gildersleeve of Salt Lake City, UT; granddaughter, Cassie (Brent) Kaslon of Evergreen, CO; and five great grandchildren: Fiona, Ruby, Parker, Holden, and Norea. Graveside Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, September 10, 2016, at Fielding Memorial Park with Reverend Ruth Marsh of Trinity United Methodist Church officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to Trinity United Methodist Church, 237 North Water Avenue, Idaho Falls, ID 83402.

Graveside Services will be held