Helen Louise Dietzel Hinman

Published 9:18 am Monday, November 19, 2018

August 13, 1926 – November 11, 2018

Helen Louise Dietzel Hinman, 92, of Redmond, Oregon, died November 11, 2018, in Redmond, with her family by her side. She was born on August 13, 1926, in Honolulu, Hawaii, daughter of the late George Elmore Dietzel Sr. and Mary Lee Cordelia Colson Dietzel. She spent her early years in Hawaii and St. Louis, Missouri, where her father was stationed during his 30-year Army career. When her father retired from the Army, her family moved to Centerville, Utah, and settled in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she graduated from East High and worked at the Remington Arms Plant/George A. Fuller Company, where she met her life’s partner, Frank Hinman Jr. They married on January 25, 1947, and moved the next year with one infant daughter to Reno, Nevada, where Frank served as an Instructor at the University of Nevada. In 1951, now with two young daughters, they moved to Herlong, California, where Frank began his 27-year career as a civilian employee at Sierra Army Depot. While in Herlong, they welcomed three more daughters.Helen was predeceased by her beloved husband of 52 years, Frank, in 1999; two cherished daughters and their husbands, Kathryn (1996) and John Eugene Nelson (1990), Frances Elizabeth (2017) and Robert Raymond Doss (2018); her parents; her brothers, George Elmore Dietzel Jr. and Keith Wesley (Tommy) Dietzel. She is survived by her children, Joan Gusman of Elk Grove, California, Nancy Louise Kessinger (Carlos Alfredo Martinez) of Monroe, Washington, and Roxia Thornton Todoroff (Steven Robert Todoroff) of Redmond, Oregon; and 11 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren.Helen was a loving and involved mother. Passionate about her five girls, she dedicated her life to their happiness and fulfillment. She volunteered in their classrooms, served as District President (Lassen/Plumas/Sierra Counties) of the PTA, and was a leader in the Camp Fire Girls, serving for several years as Camp Director. Helen traveled extensively, had amazing friendships, and was always ready for excitement and fun. She loved golf, gardening, hosting dinner parties, playing table tennis (she was Salt Lake City’s girls’ table-tennis champion), spoiling her pets, swimming and playing Rummikub with her girls and dear friends. Helen, an award-winning portrait and landscape artist, painted portraits of almost all of her progeny. She also wrote, illustrated and published two children’s books, All You’re Meant to Be and Naughty Kitten. She loved music and served as the Director of Music at the Sierra Army Depot Post Chapel from 1968 to 1996. A memorial service is scheduled for Monday, December 3, 2018, 2:00 pm, at the Community Presbyterian Church, 529 NW 19th Street, Redmond, Oregon. Inurnment will follow in January at Sunset Hills Memorial Park, 1215 145th Pl SE, Bellevue, Washington. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Helen’s life. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, your local no-kill animal shelter, or a hospice organization of your choice. – Helen lived life with passion, courage, strength, generosity of spirit and faith in God. She enriched the lives of her family and friends and will be remembered with great admiration and love.