Helen Whitman

She was born March 25, 1919, to Jacob and Katherine Elizabeth (Giesik) Schissler in Sterling, Colorado, the youngest of eight children.

Since her father was a farmer, she grew up working in the fields with the other children to support their family. Working by hand in the beet fields during the 1920’ and 1930’s was hard work for everyone.

When friends or other family members visited them on the farm, they would sing old German songs, read the Bible out loud, and eat sun flower seeds dropping the shells on floor. When the guest would leave, they swept up the shells and put them in the cook stove.

Helen graduated from Gilcrest Elementary School after 8th Grade. She really enjoyed school, was a good student who received many Perfect Attendance Certificates, and liked playing on the girl’s baseball team. Many stories were told about traveling to other schools for games and describing the uniforms they had to wear.

She was confirmed by Pastor Kauerz at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brighton on April 1, 1934. Three years later, on March 14, 1937, Pastor Kauerz would marry Helen Schissler and Henry Whitman in Ione, Colorado.

As with many German weddings that lasted three days, German songs were sung, music was played on accordions, Polka dancing was enjoyed, and homemade German food was served with beer.

Helen and Henry first lived on Franklin Street in Denver in a neighborhood made up of other family members. In 1944, they moved to Platteville where they would once again farm.

During potato harvesting, she would help the family by working alongside other farmer’s wives as a potato sorter at the Platteville Potato Association Dock.

While living in Platteville, she served as Noble Grand of the Rebekah Lodge No. 87 and President of the VFW Auxiliary Post #6011. These were special organizations where Helen loved the friendships and comradery.

After moving from the farm to Westminster in 1960, Helen worked for Gambles-Skogmo in Denver retiring in 1981. In 2003, she and Henry moved to The Villas at Sunny Acres.

Helen grew up in a Volga German family whose parents came from Walter, Russia. She was a great cook and enjoyed making many of the authentic Volga German foods (Grebbel, Kraut Bierocks, Egg Noodles, Kuchen, Schnitz Soup, etc.).

Whenever family came to visit, everyone was hoping that Helen would serve either her famous Angel Food Cake with strawberries and homemade whipped cream, her special Lemon Meringue pie, or her delicious 7-Up Salad. Sometimes we would be surprised and she would have them all.

She was always ready to pick up her fishing pole to “out fish” Henry at their favorite fishing spot near Alma, Colorado. They both enjoyed a great meal with fresh caught rainbow trout.

The pictures in her scrapbooks tell the stories about traveling with Henry and other family members to lots of states from Hawaii to Washington, D.C.

Each year they planned a trip to California to see her brother Henry in Downey. And, while traveling to California, they would always stop in Las Vegas.

Helen really enjoyed playing the casino Slot Machines and was a very “lucky” player. When asked about her luck, she would say “the slot machines talk to me when they’re ready to pay.” She had fun spending her winnings on buying things for the house.

Helen was an excellent seamstress preferring to use her Singer treadle sewing machine to make a variety of clothes for her family. She would use newspaper to cut out the pattern pieces she needed. Darlene was often the envy of her class due to the clothes Helen designed and made.

She also loved her role as grandmother enjoying those special moments with grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. Watching them laugh, sing, and dance to a variety of animated toys she had for every season and holiday of the year brought her great joy.

Helen was a very caring person opening her home and her heart to family members whenever asked. If needed, family members would be provided a place to stay where they would receive plenty of love and attention.

Helen is survived by her daughter Darlene (David) Foy and son Allen (Marilyn) Whitman. Grandchildren Linda Succo, Jerri Succo, Michael (Lupe) Succo, Lori Pruett, Kevin (Corrie Lyn) Whitman, Mark (Brenna) Whitman, David Foy, Noreen (Greg) Nolf, and Dick Foy. And, numerous great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Helen is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Henry Whitman in 2004, three sisters, Marie Eckhardt, Lydia Weber, Amelia Ritter; four brothers, Jacob Schissler, Henry Schissler, David Schissler, Fred Schissler, one grandson, Tony Succo, one great-granddaughter Amanda Whitman, and one great-grandson Nicholas Nolf.

The family wishes to express its sincere appreciation for the personal care and services given to their mother/grandmother by the staff of the Villas at Sunny Acres and Suncrest Hospice.

Services will be at 10:00 am, Saturday, January 27, 2018 at Olinger Crown Hill Mortuary & Cemetery 7777 West 29th Ave, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, internment to follow.