June 11, 1915 - November 20, 2013
Dorothy "Grama" Helser, joined her Lord on November 20, 2013, at the age of 98.
Memorial services will be held on December 14 at the Carlton First Baptist Church, at 2 pm, with Pastor Kevin Cope and former Pastor Sid Johnson officiating. Private interment will be held at Evergreen Cemetery in McMinnville.
Dorothy was born June 11, 1915 in Everett, Washington to parents Walter and Hulda Wall.
She grew up in Bremerton before attending Linfield College from 1933 to 1936 where she met her husband, Roy Helser.
They were the first married couple to attend Linfield together which required approval from the President of Linfield, then graduated together in 1936.
Husband Roy played professional baseball for the Portland Beavers for over ten years while they raised three children.
Following Roy's baseball retirement, the family moved back from Portland to McMinnville where Roy coached at Linfield.
Dorothy went back to Linfield to get her teaching degree and taught elementary school for 5 years then French and Spanish at McMinnville High for 20 years.
They retired to their beach house at Devils Lake and Dorothy taught Spanish for an additional four years at Taft High.
Dorothy and Roy loved living at the coast where she worked in her garden, supported her church, and hosted many dear friends and family.
They moved back to McMinnville in the early 1980s, where she passionately supported Linfield, volunteering with the Alumni Association and often attended Linfield football, basketball and baseball games.
She taught Bible studies twice a week, read like she was making up for lost time, enjoyed many crafts and church activities, and helped out her dear friends who had lost spouses.
Dorothy is survived by her sons Denny Helser and wife Kathleen Janzen (Salem), Roy Helser Jr. and wife Jennifer Helser (Lincoln City), daughter Susan Petersen and husband Wayne Petersen (Washougal), nine grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild. She will be tremendously missed by all.
To leave an online condolence, please visit the Online Guest Book at www.macyandson.com.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Roy and Dorothy Scholarship Fund at Linfield or to mission work at your own church.
Her final message was "I hope to see you all again in Heaven."
