Helen Margaret Hoag

Walter lost his job during the depression, but would dress and leave the house every morning so that the children wouldn't be worried. He and Henrietta did whatever it took to keep the lights on, and food on the table. They would work each summer on one of Henrietta's relative's farms. The children never knew they were poor, just that some were richer.

During and after the war, she literally worked inside of early computers at 3M.

She decided to move to Seattle after her boots froze to the sidewalk while waiting for the trolley one morning.

There she met and married Donald Hoag, a Marine corps veteran just out of the Veterans Administration hospital and starting college. He was attending the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma Washington.

After college, he was employed by the US Army as a civilian GS-3 at what is now Joint Base McCord.

After the birth of their son, Brian, in 1952, they moved into their first home. As the first of his group of friends to marry, their basement became the groups wine cellar.

In 1954 and with son, Jerry, on the way, they moved to their second home.

They got some looks from their neighbors as the first thing moved in was the 100 gallon wine press and a couple hundred bottles of wine. There was no Little Home Winemaker kits back then.

Don transferred to the Presidio of San Francisco, where, son, Paul was born in 1956. Don was then offered a position working for the Army in Germany.

The family moved to Kaiserslautern, and into a home off base. Things were a bit rough in Germany back then as there were no light fixtures or switches, just bare wiring hanging from the ceilings and out of the walls. You bought your own, then took them with you when you moved. They later moved into on-base housing when daughter, Eileen, was on her way. Eileen was born in the Army hospital in Landstuhl in 1958.

After a couple of years and promotions, they moved to Frankfurt where Don worked in the I. G. Farben building, the headquarters of the US Army in Germany. By now, he was a GS-10.

Helen and Don would leave the kids with a German governess while they would go touring. As the kids got old enough to travel with them, the family traveled throughout Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Denmark. Helen was determined that everyone in the family wouldn’t miss this golden opportunity to see as much of Europe as possible.

Again, after a couple of years, the family moved to Munich, into two different houses off base. Helen and Don, and a few of their friends, knew of a small summer resort North of Innsbruck with only a few hotels that were open in the winter for ski season. The family all learned to ski there, after a fashion. Well, maybe not Eileen. She learned to sit on her skis while sliding down the kids hill.

Once again, after a couple years, the family moved to Mannheim. There they were stuck “temporarily” living in a hotel, complete with the family cat. With the family possessions packed up and in storage, and the temporary stay lasting into the winter, Helen learned to knit socks and scarves. She needed something to do since she had no cooking, and very little cleaning to do while living in a hotel.

By now, there were now no employment fields for Don to conquer as a GS-13, so it was time to return stateside.

The family moved to a couple of apartments in Alexandria, Virginia while Don took a job at Ft. Belvior. Don later took a position with the Civil Service Commission.

Finally the family moved to the a brand new house near Fairfax, Virginia. It had been quite a while since they had done any gardening, so their decision to plant 1 tomato plant per person plus 2 spares was understandable. Following a neighbor's recommendation, Don and the kids buried a particularly inedible fish called a shad under each plant. Helen discovered that it took 50 or more tomatoes to make a jar of spaghetti sauce from scratch. There were so many tomatoes that first year, they couldn't give them all away fast enough. Next year it was decided that 2 tomato plants was more than enough for a family of 6.

Brian graduated from high school and was very likely going to be drafted. Fortunately his test scores were high enough to enlist in the Navy. The draft had ended by the time Jerry graduated from High School, but the Air Force would actually pay him to jump out of airplanes, go diving shark infested oceans, and run around in jungles and swamps, his actual words, so he became a pararescueman. Paul graduated from High School, and continued his education at George Mason University.

Helen was getting bored with the emptying house, and got a part time job with the Department of Agriculture. She would do more in 3 days than most of the full timers, so they kept offering her a full time job until she finally said Yes. She became known across the country as the go-to person for the Soil Conservation Service.

Brian then went back into the Navy. Graduating from Old Dominion University in Virginia, he was commissioned, then was off to see more of the world. Based in Alaska, the Air Force sent Jerry here and there around the world, seeing such garden spots such as Uzbekistan. Actually, he visited several “---stans” for training exercises. Paul graduated from George Mason University, and Eileen was off to the Universe of Arizona. After Eileen graduated, she moved back home to find a job. Unfortunately she discovered that after living in all that clear clean air out west, she was now allergic to Virginia. It didn't help that she found work at the Library of Congress, dismantling musty old books to photograph them.

Brian, still in the Navy, had moved to San Diego. Friends of Helen and Don, from their Tacoma winery days, also lived in San Diego. So Eileen moved out to Spring Valley, southeast of San Diego, to get away from the pollen and the cold winters, and rented a room with them while looking for a job. All the sudden, she got a call from Helen saying “Surprise, we're coming.”

Don and Helen moved to an apartment in Spring Valley, then found nearby a 2 story condo with a view and a jacuzzi.

After moving out here, Helen helped at the Santa Sophia church food pantry, and was recognized for her work with a Diocesan Award for her service. Helen and Eileen would often drive all over San Diego, touristing around.

Don and Helen went on their big tours, sans children, to visit Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, while they were still ambulatory.

Don passed away in his sleep at home.

By now Helen was starting to slow down a little. So, by mutual consent and for mutual benefit, Brian moved in with Helen to be her primary caregiver. This included being her chauffer when it was agreed, for all our sake, that she stop driving herself. Helen loved to go to Balboa Park to listen to the outdoor organ recitals. Weekends were for getting together with Eileen for “linner” (that time between lunch and dinner when restaurants are quieter), visiting gardens or attending events like Oktoberfest in El Cajon.

One last move, from the two story condo, to a senior park mobile home in Spring Valley, with a ramp and a nice view from her porch.

In the early morning hours of Monday August 13, 2018, at age 93, Helen laid down her burdens, stopped her wandering feet, and passed away at home in her sleep.

A memorial mass for Helen will be held Tuesday, September 11, 2018 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Santa Sophia Church, 9800 San Juan St., Spring Valley, CA. A burial will occur at Holy Cross Cemetery, 4470 HILLTOP DR, SAN DIEGO, California 92102-3651.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.goodbodymortuary.com for the Hoag family.