Helen M Morrison

Helen Marie Coope, was born May 3, 1930, to Jennie Louise Cook and John Coope. She started first grade at age 5 in the Bankton School (south of Williams, Minnesota) the same year the big Resettlement Project reached that area. Before the end of the school year the family had to move to Border where, even though she was doing well with her studies, she was pronounced too young for first grade and had to repeat almost the entire year.

On April 21, 1949, Helen married Glenn Allen Morrison from Rapid River Township, Minnesota. They were married for 71 years until he passed in 2020.

Besides the challenges of raising six children, Helen went to work in the early 1970s at the Hartz Store, located at that time on Main Avenue in Baudette. After a short time she transferred to the Country House (currently known as Rosalee’s). She stayed there several years, took her duties very seriously, and was an excellent server. Late in the seventies she joined the crew at Rowell Laboratories where she spent more than twenty productive years before she retired. Not content with sitting at home, she went back to work, first at the public library for a short time and then at the Brink Senior Center where she stayed for several years.

Helen believed in supporting local organizations. She was a member of the Brink Senior Center for many years. She was also a member of the Women of the Moose for a long time, at one time serving as Senior Regent. And she supported Pequana Playhouse with her membership for several years.

As she grew older, she became increasingly interested in connecting with extended family and began attending reunions of her Cook relatives—her mother’s side. She very much enjoyed getting reacquainted with some she hadn’t seen for many years and getting to know others she hadn’t met before.

Helen was always very active and took great pride in being able to turn cartwheels until well into adulthood and was known to challenge her daughters with foot races.

Helen is survived by five children: Vicki (Roger Goble), Roger (Tess), Sherrie (Jeff Hodgson), Vane (Ealecia), and Ann (Tom Dawson). She was preceded in death by Glenn, her parents, her brother and sisters, and one son, Gary.

A celebration of Helen’s life will be held at 2:00 pm, Saturday, August 28, at the Riverdale Cemetery, east of Baudette on Highway 11. In case of inclement weather, we will move to the old John Morrison farm on the Rainy River.

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