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BORN
1928
DIED
2020
Lester Helms Obituary
Lester L (Larry) Helms
1928 - 2020
Lester L (Larry) Helms passed away in Boise, Idaho on April 12, 2020 at The Terraces Maple Village Rehabilitation Center. A private family service with military honors will be held at Morris Hill Cemetery on April 22.
Lester was born on October 11, 1928 at Patmos, Arkansas to Edward and Kate (Yancey) Helms. He grew up in the Hope and Lewisville area, attending schools at Patmos, Union and Midway at Lewisville, Arkansas.
He met the love of his life, Juanita J Friand, while he was stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base. They were married at Elko, Nevada on April 19, 1952.
Lester enlisted in the Air Force February 13, 1948, receiving basic training at Lackland AFB, Texas. From there he was stationed at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, Great Falls AFB, Montana and was one of 17 people selected to reactivate Mountain Home AFB February 21, 1951 in preparation to train people for the Korean conflict. While at Mountain Home AFB, their daughter, Marie, was born.
Lester was transferred to Kadena AFB, Okinawa in January 1954, having to leave his wife and daughter behind until he could find adequate housing. His family joined him in November 1954 for a very happy reunion. While stationed on Okinawa the Armed Forces decided to place TV stations on a select few overseas bases with Kadena Air Base making the list. Lester was selected to head up a team to install the TV equipment and to assure that the station was operationally ready for a scheduled airtime on Christmas Eve 1955. He was assigned duties as a programming and operations manager until his transfer to Holloman AFB, New Mexico in June 1957, where he was assigned to the new hi-speed test tract with duties that were instrumental in testing hi-tech boosters and guidance systems to put payloads into orbit. Their son Edward was born at Holloman AFB.
Lester was then stationed at Andrews AFB, Maryland, Osan and Kunsan AFB Korea, LG Hanscom Field, Massachusetts and back to Air Force Systems Command Headquarters at Andrews AFB, where he retired from the Air Force on April 1, 1968.
After retirement from the Air Force, Lester worked for Leo's Service Center in Mountain Home before accepting a position with the U.S. Forest Service as an electronic technician on the Nez Perce National Forest at Grangeville. In 1975 he was transferred to the Forest Service Headquarters in Washington D.C. with duty assignment to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) at Boise as the National Communications Manager for the National Director of Aviation and Fire Management until his retirement from the Forest Service on September 3, 1986.
Lester had a long retirement where he and Juanita enjoyed camping in their fifth wheel trailer at Anderson Ranch, CJ Strike, Owyhee Reservoir and Farewell Bend until Juanita's passing in 2004. They especially enjoyed having their grandchildren join them on these trips, fishing all day and playing card games at night.
We will especially miss the family gatherings with our Dad and Grandfather and his smile as he watched his family laugh and interact together. Lester was able to live independently until the last few weeks of his life. Lester was a dedicated family man always looking out for his children and grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by his loving family.
Lester is survived by his daughter Marie McCulley; his son Edward (Julie); granddaughters Stacey McCulley-Lee (Mike Lee), Lisa McCulley (Bob Waller), Kayla Goode (Chris) and grandson Carson Russell (Rylie Collingwood); and great-grandsons Josiah Lee, Kallen Goode and Brooks Goode. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, son-in-law (Merlin McCulley), three sisters and two brothers.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Disabled American Veterans, P.O. Box 1597, Spirit Lake, ID 83869, or to your favorite charity.
1928 - 2020
Lester L (Larry) Helms passed away in Boise, Idaho on April 12, 2020 at The Terraces Maple Village Rehabilitation Center. A private family service with military honors will be held at Morris Hill Cemetery on April 22.
Lester was born on October 11, 1928 at Patmos, Arkansas to Edward and Kate (Yancey) Helms. He grew up in the Hope and Lewisville area, attending schools at Patmos, Union and Midway at Lewisville, Arkansas.
He met the love of his life, Juanita J Friand, while he was stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base. They were married at Elko, Nevada on April 19, 1952.
Lester enlisted in the Air Force February 13, 1948, receiving basic training at Lackland AFB, Texas. From there he was stationed at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, Great Falls AFB, Montana and was one of 17 people selected to reactivate Mountain Home AFB February 21, 1951 in preparation to train people for the Korean conflict. While at Mountain Home AFB, their daughter, Marie, was born.
Lester was transferred to Kadena AFB, Okinawa in January 1954, having to leave his wife and daughter behind until he could find adequate housing. His family joined him in November 1954 for a very happy reunion. While stationed on Okinawa the Armed Forces decided to place TV stations on a select few overseas bases with Kadena Air Base making the list. Lester was selected to head up a team to install the TV equipment and to assure that the station was operationally ready for a scheduled airtime on Christmas Eve 1955. He was assigned duties as a programming and operations manager until his transfer to Holloman AFB, New Mexico in June 1957, where he was assigned to the new hi-speed test tract with duties that were instrumental in testing hi-tech boosters and guidance systems to put payloads into orbit. Their son Edward was born at Holloman AFB.
Lester was then stationed at Andrews AFB, Maryland, Osan and Kunsan AFB Korea, LG Hanscom Field, Massachusetts and back to Air Force Systems Command Headquarters at Andrews AFB, where he retired from the Air Force on April 1, 1968.
After retirement from the Air Force, Lester worked for Leo's Service Center in Mountain Home before accepting a position with the U.S. Forest Service as an electronic technician on the Nez Perce National Forest at Grangeville. In 1975 he was transferred to the Forest Service Headquarters in Washington D.C. with duty assignment to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) at Boise as the National Communications Manager for the National Director of Aviation and Fire Management until his retirement from the Forest Service on September 3, 1986.
Lester had a long retirement where he and Juanita enjoyed camping in their fifth wheel trailer at Anderson Ranch, CJ Strike, Owyhee Reservoir and Farewell Bend until Juanita's passing in 2004. They especially enjoyed having their grandchildren join them on these trips, fishing all day and playing card games at night.
We will especially miss the family gatherings with our Dad and Grandfather and his smile as he watched his family laugh and interact together. Lester was able to live independently until the last few weeks of his life. Lester was a dedicated family man always looking out for his children and grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by his loving family.
Lester is survived by his daughter Marie McCulley; his son Edward (Julie); granddaughters Stacey McCulley-Lee (Mike Lee), Lisa McCulley (Bob Waller), Kayla Goode (Chris) and grandson Carson Russell (Rylie Collingwood); and great-grandsons Josiah Lee, Kallen Goode and Brooks Goode. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, son-in-law (Merlin McCulley), three sisters and two brothers.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Disabled American Veterans, P.O. Box 1597, Spirit Lake, ID 83869, or to your favorite charity.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by Idaho Statesman on Apr. 19, 2020.
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