Helen Francis Blair

April 3, 1929 ~ November 16, 2020
Helen Francis Blair, born on April 3, 1929, in Rainier, OR, passed away peacefully at home in Glenwood, WA, Nov. 16, 2020. Helen was 91 at the time of her passing.
Helen was raised in Rainier. She later moved to Camas, WA, when she married Dan Pratt in 1946. Helen and Dan raised eight children together. Dan passed in 1961 and Helen remarried Lester Blair in 1964 with a son Michael to follow in 1965.
Helen and Lester lived in Washougal, WA, on their farm on Forest Hill until they moved and built their home in Glenwood in 1988.
Helen, for many years, volunteered countless hours to the Glenwood Ladies Club where she held the office of president for 20 years. She was also in charge of the annual Easter Egg hunt and Friday night bingo for many years. Helen also spent many hours working the cook shack at the rodeo each year. Helen and Lester started the Friday night dinner gathering of friends at the local café. Many Fridays the group would have to slide three to four tables together to accommodate all the gathering of friends and locals.
Helen was well known to always have a pot of coffee on and cookies or Franz donuts on the counter for visitors, cowboys or haying crews that stopped by to visit.
Helen loved the holidays and made the best divinity around. She spent her spare time reading and always had a deck of cards handy for her solitaire game or to beat the grandkids in a game of rummy. Helen worked side by side with Lester in anything needing done around their place. You would never hear her complain and she never asked for help. The past few years grew hard on Helen as her health declined and she depended on family for help.
Helen was preceded in death by her father, Henry Kissel-1952; mother, Rose Schwering Kissel-1979; husband, Lester Blair-2012; daughter, Kathy Pratt-2006; sons, Robert Pratt-2016, and John Pratt-2019; sisters, Lois-2014, Beverly-2019 and Betty-2020; brothers, Stanley-1991 and Donald-2008; grandsons, Shawn Pratt-2017 and Jared Ziegler-2017; and granddaughter, Johanna Pratt-2018.
Helen is survived by sister, Karen of Clatskanie, OR; sons, Gary Pratt (Jean) of Dallesport, WA and Michael Blair (Apryl) Glenwood; daughter, Nancy Pratt of Vancouver, WA; granddaughters, Tyra Ziegler of Moore, MT and Stacey Lukas of Salmon Creek, WA; grandson, Travis Blair of Spokane, WA; and numerous other grandchildren, great-grandchildren and even a few great-great-grandchildren.
Helen will be missed by all who knew and loved her dearly. We are sure that Helen and Lester have been reunited and are dancing the two-step together again.
A small graveside service will be conducted at 11 a.m., Nov. 24, 2020, at the Glenwood Cemetery where Helen will be laid to rest next to Lester.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Glenwood Volunteer Firefighters Association. To send condolences to Helen’s family, please visit www.gardnerfh.com.