Helen Marie Colt

Helen Marie Colt, from Ogden, Utah, passed away December 9, 2022 in Bellevue, Idaho.  Born in 1925 in Edgewater, Colorado, she was “shaped” by the “Great Depression” with her strong character, survivor instincts, and appreciation for all that life offered.  Family mattered and her history reflects a close union with those family members, friends, and others in need of a “personal touch”.   She lived with her parents, Demi Colt and Chloa Bolyard in the Denver area nine years and then in 1933 the family, including older brother Tolla moved to Bird City, Kansas where brother Don was born.  They lived on a farm and immediately had to deal with the effects of the “Dust Bowl” which hit Bird City in 1934 and lasted until 1938.  Between going to a “one room school house on a horse” and helping the family survive she enjoyed fishing and hunting jack rabbits.  In 1941 the family moved to Ogden, Utah.  A third brother was born, Ted, and after graduating from Ogden High School she went to work.  She made a “trip to Hollywood” as a young, vibrant, and stylish women and ended working for Hughes Aircraft to help with the war effort.  Back in Ogden in 1946 she married Maxwell Harmon Jones, who’d served in the US Navy.  They lived in a home built by her husband in North Ogden.  First daughter Brenda was born, followed by daughters Kathie and Lucile (Lucy).  Helen was divorced shortly and in January 1957 married Charles Robert Shupe, the oldest of twelve siblings.  Together they moved “down the street” in North Ogden.  A brother, Roy, was born.  Helen’s life was quite “active” with fishing, hunting, swimming, skating, and bowling.  She was always involved working and interacting with her community in a variety of ways. On her first anniversary Max gave her a 616 Box Camera which led to her 1959 “5 Points Photo Studio” in Ogden, Utah.  She took pictures for the Osmond Family and Officers at Hill Air Force Base among others.  Along with photography she had an interest in “antiques” but her legacy lay with those “less fortunate”. Helen worked with “shut ins” and helped start Shut In Day Association, in Ogden and then started the first “handicapped” Girl Scout Troop in the the state and lobbied both state and national agencies to come alongside and support the effort to begin a school just for “handicapped students” which took place and subsequently was merged with the regular public school.  Helen received her Girl Scout volunteer “fifty year pin” which is on her today.   Helen was a people person with a “hobo marked mailbox”  telling the “hobos of the day” they could get a meal, a nights lodging, and a ride to the train station with a stop to pick up an order of Kentucky Fried Chicken on the way.  This ended when the “hobo king” who stopped by explained the mailbox markings and the frequent hobo visitors.   Some quotes from Helen:

“Make new friends, keep the old, one is silver, one is gold!”

“Enjoy the many moments in your life’s journey along the way!”

Helen was preceded in death by parents Demi and Chloa Colt, brother Thomas (Tolla) Colt,  daughter Kathie Ellen Jackson (Steve) granddaughter Zella Colt Fuller and is survived by brothers Don and Ted Colt, daughters Brenda May Fulmer and Lucile Colt Fuller (Robert), and her son Roy Colt Shupe (Kayce), along with ten grandchildren, numerous great grandchildren, and even “a few”  great great grandchildren.