Helen Louise Jacquemin, 98

Helen Louise (Hoiland) Jacquemin, beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully at Pacifica Senior Living, Pinehurst, Idaho, on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.  

Helen was a lifelong Cataldo/Rose Lake, Idaho, area resident. She was the third of nine children born to Ethel and Tom Hoiland and the first to be born at home at their Bull Run residence near Rose Lake. Her father, Tom, was the millwright at the Winton Lumber Mill in Rose Lake. Later, he had his own sawmill in the Fourth of July Canyon, and the family moved from Rose Lake to the Canyon in approximately 1928. Helen attended grade school at the original Canyon School and high school at Rose Lake, now the Rose Lake Historical Society. (All of the Hoiland children went to high school at Rose Lake.) After graduating in the spring of 1943, Helen attended Lewis and Clark Normal School in Lewiston, Idaho, to become a teacher, rooming with her best friend, Jane (Cochrane) Kerns. She put herself through school working, one summer in an airplane parts supply plant in Spokane, pulling parts from a large warehouse and roller skating them to where they were needed and one summer at the Sullivan Electrolytic Zinc Plant, Government Gulch, Kellogg, Idaho, "The Zinc Plant." She was a "zinc stripper." This was typically a man's job, but wartime afforded women opportunities they wouldn't ordinarily have had. When asked by the manager, "Why would a little gal like you want to work at a mine?" she answered, "So I can earn enough to pay for my next year's college education." She got the job and earned enough to go back to school for a year. Due to a shortage of teachers, she was able to get her teaching certificate in a shorter period of time and start her first teaching job at Kingston Grade School in Kingston, Idaho.  

While working in Kellogg and rooming at Mrs. Line's boarding house, Helen met her husband-to-be, William (Bill) Jacquemin. Mrs. Line's son, Bob, was Bill's best friend. Bill was smitten and proposed, but Helen was adamant about her education and her not getting married until she had taught for a year. She didn't want to start two big endeavors at once, so they were married during her second year of teaching Nov. 24, 1945. She later continued her education at Eastern Washington State College.

After they were married, Helen and Bill took up residence in a cute little log house in Smelterville, Idaho, on Bill's parents' property just behind his parents' house. Helen sometimes felt challenged by her mother-in-law, Zalia, who would question things such as Helen driving "Bill's car" and why a woman would possibly need to go to college once she was married. Helen assured Zalia that once married, a car would become "our car," and continuing education would be required for teachers, which was something she wanted to do. In 1947, Helen and Bill were expecting their first child and Helen stepped away from teaching for several years. Her first daughter, Deborah Lane, was born Jan. 26, 1948. In 1949, Bill and Helen built a building in Smelterville and their second daughter, Tandy Lynae, was born Sept. 8. Bill tried his hand at running a bar. That endeavor didn't work out so well, so they sold the building and bought property out in the Fourth of July Canyon, about a mile from Helen's family home. Bill started his logging career and they built a house on their new property. Since Helen now lived close to her mother, Ethel Hoiland, she joined the Canyon Ladies Pinochle Club so she could be sure her mom had a ride to "Club" every other Thursday. She remained in that club until COVID disrupted it in 2020. In later years, her failing eyesight made it more difficult to play cards, but the Club Ladies always made sure she had a ride and were extremely gracious.

Life continued in the Canyon, and in 1953, they welcomed their third daughter, Wendy Lou, on June 13, 1953. Their family was now complete. Then, in fall 1956, Helen was offered a teaching position at Canyon Grade School, just a few miles from her home. She decided to take the position and went back into teaching for five more years. She actually taught her youngest daughter, Wendy, in both the first and second grades. After teaching, she raised her family and did various service activities in the community.    

Helen had varied interests. Music was a big part of the Jacquemin household. Both Helen and Bill could play the accordion. All the daughters sang and played an instrument. One of Helen's favorite activities was dancing, particularly waltzing and the two-step. In later years, she attended the senior dances in Kellogg every week. She also ran the local election board for over 25 years and headed up Kellogg's Community Concert Series for several years. She was quite athletic. She played basketball for Rose Lake High School, ice skated, water skied, cross-country skied, was an avid golfer and bowler, belonged to the Hiking Vikings out of Coeur d'Alene and even snorkeled in Hawaii for her 80th birthday. She traveled whenever she had an opportunity. Her father was from Norway, and she and her siblings traveled to Norway to visit family on several occasions. Also, the Hoiland siblings were a very close group, and Helen took pride in remembering family details, birthdays and history.  

After her husband, Bill, passed in 1977, Helen continued to live in the Canyon until her recent death. If Helen was anything, she was a plucky, determined woman of her generation. She was an excellent teacher, believed in education and was proud that all her daughters had a higher education. She did many things for her family and community and will be greatly missed and fondly remembered.

Helen was preceded in death by her husband, Bill; her parents, Ethel and Tom; and her siblings, Mary, Theodore (Teddy), Carl, Evelyn (Wig), Arthur (Duke) and Robert (Bob).  

Helen is survived by her three daughters, Deborah Jacquemin, Tandy Savage (John) and Wendy Jacquemin (Frank Markland); three grandsons, Jeremiah Savage, Joshua Savage and Brendan Jacquemin; one great-grandson, KiSeong Savage; and two brothers, Tom Hoiland and Lawrence Hoiland (Joan), and sister-in law Naomi Hoiland, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. 

There will be a celebration of life at the Rose Lake Historical Society on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. All are welcome. The family asks that donations be made directly to Rose Lake Historical Society, 14917 South Queen St., Cataldo, ID 83810.