Helen Margaret Rees

Helen Margaret Rees, age 90, of Applegate, died on May 31, 2009 at Avamere Three Fountains in Medford under the wonderful care of their staff and RVMC Hospice.

The memorial service will be held at 11 am, Saturday, June 27th at Provolt Community Church on Highway 238 (Williams Highway) one mile west of Provolt Store. Pastor Russ Gibson will officiate. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.

She was born to Guy and Josephine Smith on December 18, 1918 in Long Beach, California. Upon graduating from Alhambra High School, she worked as a legal secretary. She married Charlie T. Rees on December 5, 1939. They had three children. She raised her family and worked through the years as a secretary, bookkeeper, and piano teacher. She started playing for church at age 10 and organ at age 12 and played for churches over the next 80 years.

She and her husband retired and moved from Newcastle, California to the Applegate Mobile Home Park in Applegate in 1972 and became active members of Applegate Community Church. Helen continued to reside at the park after her husband's death until her recent illness.

She was an active member of Provolt Community Church. After moving to Oregon, Helen and her husband served as campground hosts many summers at Farewell Bend Campground on the Rogue River in Union Creek, at Lake Wallowa and Camp Sherman on the Metolius River near Sisters.

She was preceded in death by her husband Charlie; her son David; and her brothers James and Fred.

She leaves behind her daughters Charlene Lacey, White City and Sharon Wiesner, Jacksonville; granddaughters Cheri Crandall of San Jose, Joyce Engberg of Newberg, Heidi Knowlton of Applegate and Kimberly Stout of Madras; and eleven great grandchildren.