Helen Elsie Coulter

Helen Elsie Coulter was born at home on March 4, 1934 in the White Sand District in SK, to Rudolph and Lydia Pries (nee Schrader).  Helen went to school at the White Sand School.  At an early age she worked for neighbours doing child care and farm labour jobs.  She often told her children how much she enjoyed working on the Abe and Elsie Wegner farm.  Helen travelled to Sioux St. Marie to work in a restaurant kitchen as a cook’s assistant honing her cooking skills.  Helen also worked on a dairy farm near Edenwold, SK.  She always sent part of her pay cheque home to help the family.

Helen eventually came home to help care for her siblings after her mother took ill.  On an outing with her brother Alfred,

Helen met George Coulter and on December 7, 1950 they were married.  Helen moved to the Coulter farm helping with the cattle, milking cows, growing a large garden and raising chickens, hogs, geese, ducks and turkeys.  She loved the outdoors and in her spare time she grew fruit trees and flowers, kept the farm yard beautiful and sewed just about anything and knitted Siwash Sweaters.

George and Helen were blessed with six children in their forty nine short years together: Betty, Brenda, Debbie, Barry, Wendy and Murray.  Helen loved farm life and raising their children.  She worked hard all day, baked and sewed and mended clothes in the evenings.  Helen sewed each of her daughter’s wedding gowns, some of their bride maids gowns and then her own dress for each of their weddings.  Helen often stated that sewing was her favorite form of relaxation.  Helen was also a long time follower of the TV Show “The Bold and the Beautiful”.  Her family all knew not to interrupt, visit or phone when this show was on TV.

In the Fall of 1999 George and Helen retired to Yorkton after George’s health deteriorated.  In February 2000 George passed away.

A few years after George’s passing, Helen moved to Victoria Court in Yorkton.  She loved the social life there; morning coffee time downstairs, bingo, shuffle board, always helping plan resident activities and special occasion meals.  She was the happiest helping people and boasted that her second family were the tenants at Victoria Court. 

In 2021 Helen moved to Alberta to live with her daughter Betty Wile.  In her time with Betty she enjoyed many scenic day trips to places like Waterton National Park and the Coutts Border Crossing.

When Helen’s health declined she moved to a Care Facility in Lethbridge.  On October 3, 2024 Helen passed away after spending over a month in the hospital.

Left to mourn her passing are daughter Betty Wile (John Deceased) of Taber, AB; grandson Dean (Kate) Malyk; granddaughter Cindy and her children Austin and Alexis MCaulay.

Daughter Brenda (Richard) Lieslar of Young, SK; grandchildren Kevin (Chelsea); great-grandchildren Taylor and Brooke; Curtis (Hollie) of Saskatoon, SK; Ethan and Emily; Stacey (Tyler) Challoner of Norquay, SK; Brody, Sutter and Nev.

Daughter Debbie (Ed) Borys of Prince George, BC; granddaughters Kim (Derrick) Goyer and their sons Josh (Alexis), Rylan (Breanna) and Grady (Emma); Bobbi Borys (Kevin Botham) and daughters Kaitlin Earl (Hunter), Sydney and Lauren Botham; Jody (Josh) Cronk, Prince George, BC.

Son Barry (Cindy) Coulter of Willowbrook, SK; grandchildren Susan (Shean) Plosz; Michael (Amy); Jeff (Megan) Coulter and their children McKayla and Casen.

Daughter Wendy (Wayne) Nabozniak of Regina, SK; grandchildren Mandy Nabozniak (Kirk) and son Kolton Yanush; Jason (Sheena) and their daughters Nevaeh and Amelia.

Son Murray Coulter and Gayle Bender, Willowbrook, SK.

Helen also leaves to mourn her passing, three sisters Leona McFarlane, Donna Pangman and Violet Hayes; sister-in-law Judy Coulter; many nieces and nephews; and her many very dear friends.

Helen is predeceased by her husband George; parents Rudolph Pries and Lydia Watson; sister Ruth; brothers Alfred, Roy and Norman; great-grandson Jarred Goyer; son-in-law John Wile; brothers-in-law Dave McFarlane, Bob Hayes, James Coulter, Ike McChesney, Don Hurd, and Gordon Pangman; step-father Bill Watson; sisters-in-law Evelyn Pries, Catherine Pries, Sadie McChesney and May Hurd.

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