Helen Christian Whirry, 87, passed away of natural causes on Nov. 16, 2015, in Kalispell at Heritage Place.
She was born in Great Falls on April 4, 1928, to Gordon and Lorene Christian. Raised on their ranch in the Sweet Grass Hills north of Shelby, she went to elementary school in Gold Butte, graduated from Shelby High School and briefly attended Denver University before returning to Bozeman where she and her husband started their life and family together.
On Aug. 28, 1947, she married Walt Whirry in Shelby, where they raised five of their seven children, as well as developed several different small businesses. The family began their own cattle ranch north of Browning in the late ’50s before moving to a larger operation south of the Bear Paw Mountains. They resided in Havre where she was active in the local St. Jude Catholic community and two additional children were born into the family.
In 1968, the family moved to West Glacier where Walt and Helen developed and operated the West Glacier golf course. The golf course was sold in 1974 and after that Helen enjoyed working summers at the West Glacier Mercantile.
In her semi-retirement, she and her husband wintered in the Southwest and enjoyed traveling. They returned to the original family ranch on the South Fork of the Milk River north of Browning in 1990, while continuing to reside in West Glacier. After 43 years living in West Glacier, Helen and Walt built a new home in Kalispell.
Preceding her in death were her parents, Lorene and Gordon Christian, and her son Burt A. Whirry.
She is survived by her husband, Walter E. Whirry; daughters, Judy Whirry and Mike Turner, Jane Whirry Mues, and Dawn Whirry Diskin; sons, Gordon Whirry and Janet, Brian Whirry and Sherry Abel, and William Whirry; brother, Steven Christian, and Doreen; cousins, Coby Ferguson Edgerton, Cherie Fey Anderson, Cal Christian and wife Marva, Jan Royer and husband Lindy, and Vicki Fey Schulz; nine grandchildren, six great-grandchildren with one more on the way; and two nieces.
Services will be held at at noon on Friday, Nov. 20, at C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery. A celebration of life will be held at Elks Lodge at 1 p.m. after the memorial.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making a contribution to the Flathead Food Bank where Helen had been a volunteer.
To send a note of condolence to the family, please go to www.buffalohillfh.com . Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is caring for the family.