Helen Faye Barr

Helen Faye Barr was born in Powell Butte, Crook County, Oregon on June 28, 1911 to Walter Julian Galbraith and Laura Mae Pore Galbraith. Helen grew up in Lomalinda, CA, San Bernadino, CA and Fresno, CA. The 1920 census reveals the Galbraith family lived in Cul-de-Sac, Nez Perce County, ID. While living there, when Helen was about four years old, the children were down in the basement and started running a sharpening machine which sharpened knives and other things. After a period of time, all the children left except for Helen. She was told to keep the machine running, which she did for a while but became tired of doing it, so she let it stop. Unfortunately, when she let it stop she put her finger in it to help stop it and cut her finger and had to be taken to the doctor for stitches. While living in Cul-de-Sac, Helen and her father, Julian, went into town to sell potatoes. When they got to the top of the hill, the mules that were pulling the wagon loaded with potatoes somehow were frightened and they started to run, which tipped both the potatoes and Helen out of the wagon. The potatoes and Helen rolled to the bottom of the hill. After getting control of the mules and the wagon, Julian drove to the bottom of the hill and located Helen, who was covered in potatoes. She was bruised, but uninjured. They reloaded the wagon and headed into town to finish their business. She graduated from La Sierra Academy in June of 1929 and from Walla Walla College in 1935 with a degree in Business and a minor in Music. After graduating from college, Helen worked at the Portland Sanitarium in the Business office for several years, before returning to California and her family. In California, she worked at the White Memorial Hospital, where she met her husband, Robert Maurice Barr, who was completing his Medical Degree at Loma Linda University Medical School. Upon their marriage on May 22, 1940 in Glendale, CA, Robert completed his final year of Medical training and was sent to the Washington Sanitarium in Washington, D.C. for his medical internship. Upon Robert completing his internship in 1941, Robert and Helen moved to a small town, Upper Lake, in northern California where Robert opened his medical practice. Helen helped Robert to get his medical practice going as she worked in the front part of Robert’s office. She began to collect quarters and saved them until she had over $10,000. She bought a 160 acre ranch property with lake front access in 1942. The Barr’s lived on the ranch in Nice, CA until 1955, when they moved to Ukiah, CA. After working for several years in Ukiah, the family moved to San Jose, CA in 1959. Dr. Barr worked in San Jose until his retirement, followed by his death in 1996. Helen worked in the front part of Dr. Barr’s office and ran the offices and clinics for the next 25 years. Helen moved to live near her sister, Viola Fern Graham, in Grants Pass, OR from 1973-1975 after her youngest daughter Bette had graduated from Auburn Academy. Helen lived in Grants Pass until 2003 when she moved to Bozeman to live with her daughter Kathy. Helen was preceded in death by: her parents Walter Julian Galbraith and Laura Mae Pore Galbraith; her husband, Robert M. Barr; her brother, Loris Bame Galbraith; her sister, Viola Fern Galbraith Graham; her Aunt Martha Simmerman; and her in-laws, Warren and Elizabeth Barr. Survivors include: her children Kathryn Maureen Barr Hays (Patrick Ray Hays), Robert Eugene Barr (Annie Barr), and Bette Jeane Barr Jewkes (John Alexander Norman Jewkes IV); her grandchildren Robert Ray Hays (Sharlene Dawne Baird-Hays), Richard Paul Hays (Sarah Jane Strohmeyer), Kimberly Lynne Hays Lorenz (Terry James Lorenz), Tiffany Anne Hays Lombardi (Robert Joseph Lombardi), Brian Jason Coulombe (Amy Natalie Slayton), Adam Justin Barr (Lianne Barr), Alexandria Jennifer Barr, Aubrey Lynn Jewkes (Greg Bathcart), Holly Marie Jewkes, and John Alexander Norman Jewkes V; her great-grandchildren David Michael Cok, Jessica Cheyenne Hays, Danielle Lee Hays, Amber Dawne Baird-Brackett, Robert Ray Hays Jr., Ethan Ross Baird-Brackett, Hannah Elizabeth Hays, Rhett Jacob Hays, Reagan Ann Hays, Carson MacKenzie Lorenz, Piper Jane Lorenz, Bridget Taylor Lorenz, Madison Faye Lombardi, and Gryphon Harris Lombardi. A funeral service will be held at 1:00pm on Saturday, September 29, 2012 at Dahl Funeral Chapel with a visitation on Friday evening from 7:30 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Interment will take place at Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose, CA. Memorials may be made in Helens name to Gallatin County Love INC, P.O. Box 7177, Bozeman, MT 59771-7177.