HELEN LOUISE ST MARTIN

1928-2022

Helen Louise St. Martin, a loving mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, and greatgrandmother, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on April 14, 2022.

Helen was born in Silsbee, TX to Arthur and Marie Dittert, on July 23, 1928. Helen attended schools in San Antonio and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1945. She received a scholarship to attend the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston School of Nursing. She was the youngest Registered Nurse to graduate in her class of twenty. Helen adored her classmates and they kept up with each other for over 70 years. One of her greatest joys was creating the Helen L. St Martin scholarship fund to help with student nurse tuitions. She received many thank you letters throughout the years from nursing students. They always let her know where they were and what they were planning to do with their degree. While attending nursing school, she met her lifetime love, Bevian St. Martin, after he was home from serving in the US Marine Corps, WWII. They married and that same year she received her RN degree. They moved to Boulder, CO so her husband could pursue his degree in geology. Helen worked in Boulder, Houston and Corpus Christi, as a hospital nurse. After moving back to Houston for the second time, she worked in pediatric clinics. Helen and Bevian were active members in their church in Houston, Memorial Drive Methodist, and in Austin at Westlake Hills Presbyterian. They made lifelong friends especially in both adult Sunday school classes.

They aways loved the beauty of Colorado and vacationed there with family every chance they could. They semi-retired in Boulder for about 7 years, before moving back to Texas and settling in Austin to be close to their children and grandchildren. Helen enjoyed her Austin friends and was involved in book club, bridge, dance, and dinner groups, plus her ‘group therapy’, which took many trips together. She loved music, had a beautiful voice, and could play the piano by ear. She loved attending symphonies and musicals.

Left to cherish her memory are her daughters, Susan Dowling and her husband, George, Sheryl St. Martin and her husband Chris Chambless, and son, David St. Martin. Grandchildren; Brian Dowling, Andrea Gulledge and her husband Trey, Matthew Dowling and his wife Kelley, Brandon Beaty, Sasha, Ryan, and Neal St. Martin. Great grandchildren; Travis and Rhett Gulledge, Jackson Dowling, Anna Dowling, and her sister, Ruth Farringer, and her husband Russel.

Helen was preceded in death by her husband, Bevian and her sister, Frances Schroeder and her husband Bert.

Isaiah 52:7 - How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns”.

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Helen’s Memorial Service will be held Saturday, May 7, 2022, at 11:00AM at Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church 7127 Bee Caves Road, Austin 78746 Memorial contributions in her name, in lieu of flowers, can be made to:

The University of Texas Nursing School at https://development.utmb.edu/give select “School of Nursing Student Scholarships” or mail to: University of Texas Medical Branch, Attn: Susan E. Smith, CFRE, 301, University Blvd, Galveston, TX 775550148 or Alzheimer’s Research at https://www.alz.org/?form=alz_donate