Helen Edna Selee

1930 - 2023

Helen Edna Selee February 1, 1930 December 12, 2023 Helen Edna (Blanke, Hamer) Selee passed away on December 12, 2023, at age 93, with her son Todd and her longtime caregiver Christina holding her hands. Helen was born February 1, 1930 in Pearce, Arizona to Arthur and Lucy (Cundiff) Blanke. She was the fifth of seven children. Helen grew up near Pearce, Arizona on a homestead near the Sulphur Springs. She attended grammar school in Pearce. Except for one year when the family was in California and she went to Los Molinos Elementary for the fourth grade. After grammar school, Helen moved to Mill Valley, California to live with her sister Frances. She started high school at Mt. Tamalpais. In 1945, Helen moved to Los Molinos to live with her Aunt Susie. She graduated from Los Molinos High School in 1948. In 1948 Helen met and married Norman Hamer. In 1949 they welcomed their first daughter Laura, then their second Diane in 1950 and their third Karen in 1953. Ten years later the boys began joining the family. Dan was first in 1963, then Brad in 1964, and finally Todd in 1967. After nearly 30 years of marriage, Helen and Norman divorced in 1977. With her children spread out in age, Helen had a child in elementary school every year from 1954 to 1981. She was very involved in the classrooms, with that came untold numbers of home baked cookies and treats for class parties and bake sales. She also supported the other activities her children were involved in like 4H, Cub Scouts, and sports. None of her children left home before knowing valuable skills such as cooking, laundry and some sewing skills. In about 1973 Helen and 3 other concerned moms worked together to bring a library to Los Molinos Elementary School. It started in the back corner of the cafeteria, but after a few years it moved to a classroom of its own. Helen was the librarian until 1983. In 1978, Helen rekindled a friendship with Robert Selee whom she had known since the late 1940's. They were married in 1979. Helen moved to Bob's home in Redding, but because her three sons were still in school in Los Molinos she continued to work as the LMES Librarian, commuting back and forth for the next four years. Family was always important to Helen; for the next 20 plus years she would go pick up one, two or three of her grandchildren, bring them Redding for a weekend at Grandma Helen's and Grandpa Bob's. Helen and Bob loved to travel and over the years took numerous trips to locations around the United States. Many of these trips were with their friend Anita Cole. Helen and Bob were inseparable until Bob's death in 2007. Helen enjoyed family celebrations, whether it was a birthday, holiday or the big family picnic every summer. She was also a proud LMHS alumna and enjoyed lunches with her 1948 classmates and the yearly LMHSAA Reunion. In 2009 Helen moved back to Los Molinos to be closer to family and in 2015 she moved in with her son Todd. As her memory began to fade, Helen needed more help navigating life. The family is eternally grateful to Christina Deming for providing that help as Helen's primary caregiver over the last 8 1/2 years. Helen continued to greet the world with a smile and live in the moment up until the end. Helen was preceded in death by her parents, her son Brad, both of her husbands Bob Selee and Norman Hamer, her brothers Bertie, Raymond and Vernon Blanke and her sisters Frances Kelly and Jeanette Gee. She is survived by her brother Jack Blanke, daughters Laura (Tim) McDonald, Diane Randall, and Karen (Don) Lafferty, sons Dan (Joyce) Hamer, and Todd Hamer, her sister-in-law Neville (Darrell) Mullins, brother-in-law Dick Gee, 15 Grandchildren, a gaggle (31 actually) of Great Grandchildren, and 6 Great Great Grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Friday December 29, 2023, 10 am, at the Hoyt Cole Chapel of Flowers in Red Bluff. A final graveside Goodbye will follow at the Los Molinos Cemetery. Following the graveside service the family invites you to join us for lunch at the Los Molinos Methodist Church Annex.