Helen Hedelius

Helen Wetzel Hedelius was born October 16, 1916, in Poplar, Idaho, and died September 14, 2007, in Bountiful, Utah, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident a week earlier. She was the seventh child of John Howard and Maude Ellen Mattson Wetzel. As her father was a farmer, her early years were spent in a rural setting. She attended schools in Rigby. After her schooling, she met Joseph LeRoy Hedelius, and they were married in Rigby on June 15, 1935. They are the parents of five children, Darleen (Bruce) Fuller, Rigby; Phylus (Jim) Barrett, Idaho Falls; Merlyn (Janet) Hedelius, Cleveland, Ohio; Saundra (Dee) Poulsen, Rigby, and Ron (Fawn) Hedelius, Rigby. Their marriage was solemnized in the Idaho Falls Temple June 25, 1947. Helen was an active member of the LDS Church, and served in many positions during the years, including Primary president; she served as Relief Society president when she was in her 70’s. Her love of sewing began early and she designed and made clothes for herself and her children before commercial patterns were readily available. When her children were all in school, she started sewing for local businesses. In 1961, she bought a small fabric store in Rigby. During the next 20 years she expanded her business to include a sewing machine dealership, and large fabric stores in Rexburg and Rigby. She learned and taught many innovative sewing techniques in her stores, and to various groups around the area. She maintained a sewing business in her home until recently. In 1981, after she retired, she and Roy served a mission in Birmingham, Alabama. She used her sewing talents as a missionary tool, teaching quilt making in several protestant and LDS churches in the mission. Roy passed away in December 1984. Helen’s life since then was filed with family, friends, church activities and community service. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers, Bert, Bud, Dave, John, and Sam Wetzel; and sisters, Thelma McNeil, Blanche Westergard and Louise Hill, her husband, a grandson, Todd Fuller, and a great-granddaughter, Crystal Brown. She is survived by her children, a brother, Jim (Maureen) Wetzel of Lyman; sisters, Katie (Lester) Taylor and Mable (Cloy) Theobald of Idaho Falls; 21 grandchildren, 60 great-grandchildren and 4 great-great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, September 22, 2007 at the Rigby LDS Stake Center. The family will meet with friends from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday at Eckersell Memorial Chapel (101 W. Main Street, Rigby) and from 9:30 to 10:45 Saturday, at the Church. Interment will be in the Annis Little Butte Cemetery.