Helen Thatcher Beckman, 99

Helen Thatcher Beckman, 99, passed away peacefully in her Dalton Gardens, Idaho, home early morning of Jan. 17, 2023. Helen was born in Provo, Utah on April 26, 1923 to William Wallace and Electa Frances Thatcher. The youngest of five siblings, her family moved to Southern California when Helen was young.

In December of 1942, Helen married the boy next door and the love of her life, Ralph H. Beckman, in the Los Angeles Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Together, they had nine children, two daughters and seven sons.

Helen is survived by six of her nine children: Ralph Lee and wife Billie of Tacoma, Wash., David and wife Kim of Hayden, Idaho, Roger and wife Marjorie of Yakima, Wash., Marc and wife Tami of Dalton Gardens, Idaho, Neil and deceased wife Tana of Las Vegas, Nev., and Ross and wife Linda of Pahrump, Nev.

Preceding Helen in death were her beloved husband, Ralph H. Beckman, in 1979, her daughters, Nancy, Born/died 1951, and Frances Jean in 1992, her son, Keith, (survived by his wife Rebecca, Gresham, Ore.) in 2021 and her daughter-in-law, Tana Beckman, in 2016.

Helen graduated high school in Los Angeles, Calif., in 1940, where she learned to operate power machine tools to become an operator. Her first job was for Cole of California sewing latex bathing suits for such movie stars as Esther Williams and Rose Marie Reid.

After the start of WWII, the Cole factory started fabricating parachutes and Helen adapted to her new responsibility in the war movement. She also continued to support her country by working for the US Tire Company making gas tanks for the B2 Bombers. A real-life “Rosie the Riveter” she continued to apply her skills for J.C. Penney’s.

In 1960, Ralph and Helen made the decision to move to Coeur d’Alene to raise their young family. Here, Helen supported her family by delivering newspapers for the Spokesman Review and later worked for the Coeur d’Alene Police Department. Later, she cared for and protected school children as a school bus driver always making sure they made it safely to and from school. For 26 years, she loved caring for “her kids” before retiring in 2000.

Helen was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and devoted herself to serving a full-time mission in the Philippines.

In 2006, Helen married Leo Lee. Although married but a short time, Helen and Leo enjoyed traveling together before Leo passed in 2011.

Helen will be loved and missed by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. A private memorial and graveside funeral will be held this summer. She will be interred at Forest Cemetery in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, alongside her eternal sweetheart, Ralph H. Beckman.