Helen Backlin passed away on July 2, 2024 in her home in Bozeman, MT, with her three daughters by her side. Helen was born on September 11, 1930 in Bozeman, the only child of Alarich (Bud) Henke and Hannah Schanck. Her grandparents, Gus Henke and Kate Blumer, arrived separately in Bozeman in 1887. They eventually met in this small town and married on November 8, 1888 when Bozeman was still in the Territory of Montana.
Helen spent her childhood in Bozeman, doing all of the fun things kids did in the 1930’s and 1940’s. She had a very active grade school and high school life with a great group of friends, so many she kept in contact with through the years.
Helen married Lyle Backlin on June 26, 1949 at St. James Episcopal Church. She and Lyle started their married life on a ranch outside of Manhattan, MT. It was during the ten years they spent there they had their four children: Lawrence, Jody, Sally and Bonnie.
In 1960 they moved to Belgrade to start a Purina Feed business, opening a store where the parking lot now is on Main Street. After three years they moved to South Dakota to continue with Purina.
The family moved to Dolton, IL, in 1965, a suburb of Chicago. In 1966 Helen was hired by Allstate Insurance Company as an agent. She was one of the first women ever hired for that position in the State of Illinois. She retired after twenty-seven successful years.
Before retirement and after retirement, she and Lyle were able to take several trips to Europe. They traveled to Norway, England and France, and to Spain to visit their daughter, Sally, who was living there.
Her beloved husband, Lyle, passed away in February 1996. In 1997 she returned home to Montana. For the next several years she kept busy volunteering at the Bozeman Public Library and the Gallatin History Museum, making many great friends during that time. As with all grandparents, she attended as many of her three grandsons’ athletic events and school programs as she could.
Helen continued her love of travel until the age of eighty, taking several European river cruises, including Christmas Markets on The Rhine and Danube. She always enjoyed reading, loved all music, and attended as many plays, musical events and concerts as she could.
Helen was loved and admired by so many, was a very loving mother and grandmother. She will be greatly missed by all.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Lyle; and her son, Lawrence, in 2020. She is survived by her daughters, Jody Boland, Sally (Carlos) Sanchez, both of Bozeman, Bonnie (Ian) Taylor of Gilbert, AZ; and her beloved grandchildren, Kassey, David, Hannah, Sean, Carlos, and Alex; and five great-grandchildren.
A Visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 9th from 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. at Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service.
A Funeral Service will be held at St. James Episcopal Church at 1:00 P.M., followed by a reception and Interment at Sunset Hills Cemetery.
