Helena Marie Pike

PIKE: Helena Marie Pike passed away peacefully at the Maidstone Health Complex, Maidstone, Saskatchewan, on April 26, 2023, at the age of 95 years. Helena will be dearly missed by her son-in-law Maurice Oddan; grandson Mark (Tracy) Oddan; great-grandsons Carter and Lincoln Oddan; sisters-in-law Evelyn Janus (of Maidstone, SK), Evelyn Janus (of Mission, BC), Christine Pike, Maureen Bexson, Lois Pike and Jeanette Pike; numerous nieces and nephews and their families; dear friends and neighbours. Helena was pre-deceased by her loving husband, Ronald Pike; daughter, Phoebe “Ellen” Oddan; father and mother, Hendrik and Cornelia Janus; father and mother-in-law, Everard and Winifred Pike; siblings/siblings-in-law, Dorothy (Harold) Skands, Dio Janus, Harry (Lil) Janus, William Janus, Cornelia “Nellie” Bruder, Margaret (Gilbert) Hickson, Alvin (Florence) Pike, Joyce (Dan) Lamont, Gerald Pike, Eileen (Bill) Lamont, Dennis Pike, Rusty Bexson; niece Kelly Janus; nephews Hugh Lamont, Randy Pike, John Janus, David Bexson; and great-grandsons, Asher and Declan Oddan. Helena was born on June 27, 1927 in Lashburn – the fifth of six children born into the Hendrik and Cornelia Janus family, whose farm was south of Waseca in “the hills” of the Battlevale district. She began teaching in 1945 at Lonsdale School, a log building near Loon Lake. She then moved to Forest Bank, where she met her husband, Ronald Pike, and taught at Forest Bank School. She later taught at Waseca for 27 years, 10 of those as principal. During this time, she earned her Bachelor of Education from the University of Saskatchewan, through summer school and off-campus classes. Helena was a councillor for the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (STF) for 10 years. For all of her teaching carer she was an active, concerned member. She spent one eventful summer in Nigeria, helping teachers through the Canadian Teachers’ Federation “Project Overseas Program”. She retired from teaching in 1981 after 36 years of dedicated service to her students. She then joined the Lloydminster chapter of the Superannuated Teachers of Saskatchewan (STS) and was active locally and provincially for another 25 years, including terms as provincial vice-president and president. Helena was always a community-minded individual. She was organist and music leader for her church for more than 60 years; served on local recreation and library boards; was a leader in the Forest Bank 4-H Club and a member of the Forest Bank Friendship Group; read to seniors in Pine Island Lodge; wrote weekly columns in the Maidstone Mirror (and later Battlefords News-Optimist) about all the news in Forest Bank and Waseca; and happily tutored English to many Catholic priests who were new to Canada. She worked for many years on the Legion Ladies’ Auxiliary; helped out regularly at the Waseca seniors’ wellness clinics; served on the “Provincial Farm Support Review Committee”; and was long interested in politics, serving her chosen party diligently on the local executive and being office manager on several election campaigns. Upon retirement, Helena travelled with Ronald nearly every spring and over the years journeyed to some 50 countries around the world. Later, they would take Mark on an annual “Educational Tour” to different locations across Western Canada, and then drove him to his summer camps in Montana. After Ronald passed in 1996, Helena continued to travel extensively with retired teacher friends and new people she met on her travels. Some of her later adventures included going up the MacKenzie River all the way to the Arctic Ocean, making a trans-Atlantic crossing in a ship from the Mediterranean to Florida, visiting Mark in Victoria and Wales and visiting the family overseas with Mark and later by herself. After retirement, Helena had more time to devote to Ellen, Maurice and Mark, and with Ronald, they did so much for the busy young family – from providing food to carpentry projects to chauffeuring Mark. Anything that was needed – for family or the community – you could count on them doing it! Helena had a deep interest in history, and, in particular, local and family history. She worked hard on the Waseca history book committee to put together the histories of Battlevale, Walter, Waseca and the Waseca district. She was the family historian, tracking down genealogy, translating Dutch letters and records into English and keeping in contact with as many Janus family members as possible in the Netherlands, England and New Zealand. Keeping the family connection alive was so important to her, and she leaves the next generations a wealth of information, photos and memorabilia from the Janus family here and abroad with which to continue the preservation of family history. Always modest, Helena was not interested in accolades as she dedicated herself to community service. Yet, she still managed to gain many awards over the years, of which she was quietly proud. Some of these include being recognized by the Province of Saskatchewan for excellence in teaching during her active teaching career; being honoured with the Queen’s Silver Jubilee medal in 1977; receiving the STS Honourary Life Membership in 1997; and being recognized in 2015 by the village of Waseca for her tireless efforts in support of the community. The Funeral Service for Helena was conducted from Waseca Memorial Hall Waseca on Monday, May 8, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. If you were unable to attend in person, you may view a live recording of the service posted on the McCaw Funeral Service website, under Helena’s obituary. Interment was held in Forest Bank Cemetery, Forest Bank, Saskatchewan. Donations in memory of Helena can be made to Maidstone Health Complex, Forest Bank Church – Cemetery or a charity of the donor’s choice. McCaw Funeral Service Ltd., of Lloydminster, Alberta administered the funeral arrangements. Maurice, Mark and Tracy would like to thank: the doctors, nurses, hospital staff, homecare nurses and Pine Island Suites staff in Maidstone who helped Helena throughout the past several months; all those involved in or who attended her funeral service; everyone who gave cards, flowers, donations; and the close family and friends who have provided helping hands, transportation, love and support to Helena over the years.