Helen J. Eid Halverstadt, 87

Helen J. Eid Halverstadt, 87, of Missoula, passed away on January 10, 2018, at the Village Health Care Center in Missoula of natural causes.

She was born Oct. 7, 1930, in Kalispell to Carl and Pauline (Moen) Eid. She was the sixth child and the baby of the family. She was very close to her siblings even though there was 21 years difference between her and her oldest sibling. Numerous photographs show the life and times of her growing up on the Eid Farm on Helena Flats by the Flathead River and the family cabin on Ashley Lake. At an early age she helped out on the farm milking cows, driving the milk truck to Kalispell when she could barely see over the steering wheel, cooking for the threshing crews that harvested the wheat, and other numerous jobs on the family farm.

Helen attended school in Kalispell and when she was 18 she met and married Lee W. Halverstadt on March 26, 1949. For a while they lived in the historic Florence Hotel in downtown Missoula. Lee’s work took him to various cities, including Chicago. Wherever they landed she made lifelong friends and a home while working various jobs, such as a nurse’s aide. Stories include riding around with Lee on his Harley Davidson, snowmobiling at Ashley Lake, and many family gatherings where she was always laughing and teasing her family. She loved to play board games and was the life of the party.

Like her sister, Ruth, Helen loved to cook and bake and was known for her culinary skills. A family favorite was her lefse and sweet petal.

Helen and Lee could not have children of their own due to medical reasons so they decided to adopt. They adopted three children, the first child, John in 1959, Jana in 1965, and Jodi in 1968.

Helen lived her last few years at the Village Health Care Center, infecting everyone with her sassy sense of humor and she will be missed greatly by all who know her.

A celebration of Helen’s life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, at Garden City Funeral Home in Missoula. A reception will immediately follow in the funeral home’s community room.