Helen I Burrows

Helen Irene Burrows was born August 5, 1926, to Margaret and Edward Schilling, the youngest of their three daughters. Her sisters Margaret (Schilling) Vaughan and Mary Lou (Schilling) Kidd were very close to her all their lives.

She was raised in the South-Central Los Angeles area as her father worked as a longshoreman in Wilmington. When she was in 2nd grade her mother returned to work at a Hollywood movie studio where she had worked before marrying. This resulted in her daughters learning to be very independent and instilling in Helen a desire to be a homemaker, dedicated to raising her children. Her family had German ancestry and thus were Lutheran. She grew up in the church and became a member through confirmation. She stayed with that denomination her whole life and though she became an infrequent attendee she loved going to Christmas Eve Candlelight services and of course Easter services.

She attended Horace Mann Junior High School and Washington High School. She was an excellent student and when challenged by her high school chemistry teacher that a girl could never receive an A in his class, she responded. She studied diligently to get an A on every test and completed every extra credit assignment. He ended up forced to give her an A.

Mary Lou was married to Alan Kidd on Helen’s 16th birthday. Alan was in the Navy and invited all his Navy buddies to attend his wedding. Among those who came was William “Bill” Burrows, 7 1/2 years her senior, who was smitten. They began seeing each other and a love affair ensued and grew. At some point it became apparent he could be shipped out on any day, so they decided to get married right away. With her parents’ approval they were married March 25, 1944. At the time she was 17 1/2 years old and still in high school, from which she graduated three months later. They began living in the back bedroom of her parents’ home.

He wasn’t actually shipped out for several months and when his ship, a mine sweeper, departed, they headed to San Francisco. Knowing they would stay there a short time before heading for the Pacific Theatre, Helen drove by herself to San Francisco to spend as much time with him as possible. When his ship finally did depart, he was gone for a full year.

When Bill returned, he was discharged in November 1945. They continued living in the back bedroom. Bill had been a carpenter’s mate on a mine sweeper, so he obtained employment in that trade. Helen found work as a salesclerk at a dress shop in Inglewood. There was a serious housing shortage after the war so they, along with Mary Lou and Alan, acquired vacant lots in Inglewood. It took a couple of years, but they managed to build the two houses working together. By then Bill and Helen welcomed their first child Nancy in 1946. Helen now committed full-time to being a mother and homemaker. Before long, along came Sandra in 1949. Then Brandon arrived in 1951.

Now that two-bedroom house was a bit too small. At the same time, the Kidd family now had three boys and were outgrowing their house. Both families found three-bedroom homes in a new neighborhood in Inglewood, on the same street, seven houses apart. The result was the two families spending a lot of time together for years.

Helen dedicated time to supporting her children’s activities including Brownies and Girl Scouts for her daughters, Cub Scouts as a Den Mother and Boy Scouts for her son. Along with her sister Mary Lou she volunteered at a local hospital as a Candy Striper. Beginning in the early 1960’s she was an election worker at the polls. She continued doing that for many years, even after a move from Inglewood to Hacienda Heights. That may have been a paid position, but the pay was so low it was mostly a volunteer effort.

They lived in the second Inglewood neighborhood for about 11 years, until 1964 when Helen and Bill decided to move to Hacienda Heights. Life starting anew. Further change for the family came later that same year when Nancy married John Bachellerie. Sandy followed a few years later in 1968 marrying Thomas Taricco. And the nest was getting empty. Near his college graduation Brandon provided Helen with her first daughter-in-law Marcia (Morgan) Burrows.

When Brandon graduated from high school and began college Helen went back to work as a salesclerk in a dress shop. It was a job and company (family) she worked with for the next 25 years. However, she remained a homemaker dedicated to keeping an immaculate home, a pristine yard and cooking the best meals.

At about the same time as getting a paying job for the first time in decades, with encouragement from Bill, Helen took up painting. She attended art classes and was very good. She eventually joined art associations in both Whittier and Pasadena. She created numerous paintings which received awards from these organizations. Ultimately, she produced over 200 oil and watercolor paintings. Most of them are enjoyed in the homes of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. When her oldest daughter Nancy died from cancer in 2010, she lost the passion to create art and gave up painting.

Helen became a grandmother at age 39 in 1965 with the arrival of Kenneth Bachellerie. She absolutely loved becoming “Granny.” That moniker really stuck and she became known by that by more than just her own grandchildren. Nancy and John also blessed her with her first granddaughter, Erika, in 1969. Later that same year Sandy and Tom pitched in with another grandson Timothy. In 1974 they added another granddaughter, Danielle. And in perfect symmetry Brandon and Marcia gave her the final grandson Matthew in 1978 and the final granddaughter Lindsey in 1981. Helen was truly in her element as Granny now with a full flock.

In the late 1970s Bill and Helen began traveling the world. Over the years they traveled to over 30 countries in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East. Helen picked out the destination, read up on the history of the countries they were to visit and planned everything. Bill made sure he had plenty of film for the camera and asked just to be told where to be and when. They reveled in these travels and made lots of new friends.

In time the grandchildren began marrying. Thus, the great-grandchild era began in 1992. Helen, age 65, could again enjoy new babies. Ultimately there were 11 great-grandchildren spread over 23 years. Furthermore, she later became a great-great-grandmother of two girls, at age 91. She was very, very proud to have achieved that title.

Unfortunately, Bill was not around to meet all those great and great-great offspring. In 1995 he was diagnosed with cancer and passed away on August 3rd of that year. Helen had lost the love of her life that she would never stop loving. But being a very strong woman, she carried on with spirit. If someone asked, “Would you like to come/go to…?” She instantly replied YES! She was determined to be busy and never turn down an invitation to do something.

As a strong woman she fought to live independently. But after turning 92 it became necessary for her to have assistance. She was moved from Hacienda Heights, where she had lived in two homes for over 54 years, to Murrieta. It was there that she passed away.

She was the last surviving member in her family of America’s Greatest Generation. Those who grew up with the difficulties and challenges of the Great Depression, those who fought and supported those who fought in World War II against evil forces, and then, came home to build an America that became the most powerful in the world.

For her, her major accomplishments in life were having all her offspring. She especially adored them as babies and was very proud of them as they grew up. They were all the light of her life.

And she was and is still truly beloved by all her offspring.

“Soft and safe to thee, be thy resting place! Bright and glorious be thy rising from it! Fragrant be acacia sprig that there shall flourish! May the earliest buds of spring unfold their beauties o’er thy resting place, and there may the sweetness of the summer’s last rose linger longest! Though the winds of Autumn may destroy the loveliness of their existence, yet the destruction is not final, and in the springtime, they shall surely bloom again. So, in the bright morning of the resurrection, thy spirit shall spring into newness of life and expand in immortal beauty, in realms beyond the skies. Until then, dear one, until then, farewell!”