Our dear Mom and Grandma died peacefully on Wednesday, December 8, 2021 after a long and lovely life. Helen entered the world April 9, 1927 as the much-loved firstborn of Elmo King and his wife Edna (née Youen), on their farm at Creekbank, Ontario. She shared many tales of her adventures – climbing windmills, riding to Christmas dinner on a sleigh drawn by horses, winning prizes at the school fair. At a still-young age she moved with her family to Mount Forest, and the towns in Wellington North became her stomping ground. As many teens do, she worked part time at the post office and a local restaurant, and she hitched rides to dances in Neustadt, Pike Lake, and Harriston. At one of these dances she met the love of her life, Harold (Sliv) Ritchie. Though she had, perhaps unexpectedly, passed her high school departmentals and graduated from teacher’s college, she gave up that career in favour of marriage, raising her kids, making homes for the family, and helping Sliv at their service station, on the farm, and much later at the Arthur Legion. Helen loved presentations and parties, chivarees and card games with her many friends and neighbours. She took a very active role in her community. She collected for charities, worked on the township history book and served lunches at countless auction sales and funerals with her church group. Until late in her 80’s she regularly organized dinners and parties with the local Legion Auxiliary. Helen was a doting Grandma, and keeping up with the comings and goings of her many grandchildren kept her involved and amused even during the bleak days of covid lockdown. Though she accepted the vagaries of old age with grace (usually!), she did not give in or give up, and right to the end would gamely haul her weaker leg into the car so she could go for lunch or a drive or – three cheers! – shopping. Helen outlived her husband Sliv (2008), her son Doug (2010) and his wife Margaret Brown (2004), and her brother Jack (2015). She mourned them deeply, but continued to live life fully and without complaint, just as her children Marg (the late John Reid), Dave and his wife Barb Tregunna, and Joyce Charman will try to do. Her eleven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren will cherish memories of noisy family gatherings, grandma’s fudge, and riding on her walker. A private funeral service was held at the England Funeral Home, Mount Forest. To view a recording of the funeral service, please visit www.englandfuneralhome.com and click on the link below Helen’s obituary. A come-and-go reception in Helen’s honour was held at the Royal Canadian Legion, Mount Forest Branch 134, on Tuesday, December 14th. Donations to the Mount Forest Legion Ladies Auxiliary or the Louise Marshall Hospital Foundation would be appreciated.
How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.
– A.A Milne