#19 Service. Helen Lloyd Shaffner

#19 Service.  Helen Lloyd Shaffner

“Service is the price I pay for the spot I occupy”

 These words were spoken by my mother, Helen Lloyd Shaffner, when honored in 1984 as Women of the Year in Dillon, Montana.

Helen was born 14 August 1924 in Waitsburg, Washington where her great great grandparents had settled in 1859.  Her mother, Mary Caroline Summers and George Marvin Lloyd had married in 1918.  

Graduating from high school in 1942, Helen went off to college at Washington State College in Pullman, Washington.  Helen made her first scrapbook in 1933, continuing her scrapbooking with a scrapbook of her first year of college.   Scrapbooks and keeping family history began early in her life.

Helen joined the Pi Kappa Delta sorority and graduated with a degree in sociology in 1946. But along the way, she met a student in veterinary medicine from Dillon, Montana.  They say opposites attract and I believe this to be true.  Don was born to a ranching family, grew up herding sheep, loved animals, work and had served in WWII.  Helen was born to a farming family but had allergies to animals, hated horses (bucked or fell off one), played the piano and sewed.  When they married in 1946 and she visited Dillon, Montana during the Labor Day weekend, she was shocked to see people drinking liquor as well as probably other various things that might have occurred during the “famous weekend”.  

They moved to Dillon in 1949 after Don graduated from Veterinary School as he was anxious to get back to his beloved Beaverhead County.  Life as a veterinarian was varied from day to day and the county was large with lots of cattle; so Don was often gone for hours and maybe not around much during calving season.  Helen found her niche in Dillon.  

 As her daughters grew and became involved Helen was right there to volunteer, from serving as troop leader in Girl Scouts, serving as President of the local PTA and also finding time to serve on the Presbyterian church session.  Helen served as Presbyterian church organist (and backup organist) for over 40 years. She last played for church on Mother's Day, 14 May 1995.  She always found time to play for a wedding or a funeral.  The first wedding that she played for was in 1945 in Waitsburg!  She thought her daughters needed to play the piano so she began teaching them, which progressed to her teaching piano to many others.  As a member of the community she served as a member of the Barrett Hospital Auxiliary.  She also served as a member and officer of in the local chapter of P.E.O.; as well at the Cattlewomen’s group (former Cowbelles).  When Dillon formed a Community Orchestra, Helen joined and played the timpani, an instrument she had played in college.  

She was Don’s partner in life, always supporting him.  As a partner in the Veterinary Hospital, Helen was also the bookkeeper.  Supporting her husband meant that she also was a member of the Montana Veterinary Medical Association Auxiliary, and served as President.  Don was involved in the Inter-Mountain Veterinary Association so naturally Helen joined their auxiliary and served as President.  The next step was then serving as the national secretary for the American Veterinary Medical Association Auxiliary in 1964.  

Don & Helen

1986

Supporting her daughters meant that Helen rode the ski bus every Saturday while they took lessons at Rainy Mountain (Maverick Mountain).  Somehow she had learned that kids were unruly on the bus & kids were being teased, which made it hard for the bus driver to concentrate on driving snowy roads.  Helen stepped up to serve! 

Don came home one day and decided that there was a girl at a ranch, over 60 miles from Dillon that needed a place to live during the week while attending high school.  Why of course; Helen stepped up to help and provided a room.   Since Helen was often alone with 2 small girls, it was perfect.  The girls got an older “sister”, Helen got some help but more important Helen provided a home for others.  Over the years 3 girls attended school, and lived with the Shaffner’s.  Helen never thought twice about helping out.

The "Bonus" daughters, 1996 at Don & Helen's 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration

Lynn, Elaine and Heidi 

And then her husband realized his dream of owning a ranch.   Now Helen added the job of bookkeeper for the ranch and providing saddlebag lunches for riders, meals for branding crews and hauling lunches to the crew trailing cattle.  

Helen's knack for hauling food is legendary! 

 Sometimes it was 60 miles to find the crew!

She always had plenty of food, no one ever went hungry!

It must have a large gathering, look at the steaks!

Helen was also manning the BBQ grill at the ranch.

When you own a ranch, horses are involved.  Helen did not like horses.

This is the only picture of her on a horse!

As a woman who had lived through World War II, Helen was thrifty.  Her sewing talents included sewing clothes for her daughters, remaking clothes from others, as well as quilts. 

Living through hard times, Helen was very compassionate.  She served her community in so many ways.  One of which was food.  Food was one of Helen’s best talents.  She made sure that there was food on the table for every meal, homemade.  She was always cooking or baking; cookies, pies for the freezer.  We had a salad my sister and I dubbed the “dead salad” because whenever it appeared on the counter or refrigerator, we asked who died.  Helen was always taking food to a family who had had a death.  Don’s father ate dinner with them for 20+ years.  Living to 103 years old, when he could no longer drive, Helen took food to him.  Helen always included others at her dinner table, often sharing with a couple of widowed men who helped Don.  Holiday dinner tables were often shared with friends in the community that had no family to gather with.

Helen Lloyd Shaffner more than paid for the spot she occupied.

“Service is the price I pay for the spot I occupy”

Happy Mother's Day in heaven, Mom!