Helen Louise McDaniel
December 8, 1929 - February 12, 2023
Helen Louise McDaniel was 93 years old when she passed away after a long illness on February 12, 2023, at home in Brush, Colorado in the loving care of her family. She was the devoted wife and helpmate to her one true love, Bill McDaniel, for 65 years. She never got over losing him 9 years ago. She has traveled to the big beyond now to be with him, but while on this earth, they traveled across these great United States many times. In fact, as her spoon collection will attest, Helen visited every state in the Union except Hawaii. She just couldn't bring herself to being cooped up in an airplane for that long.
One of her favorite places to travel was Seattle. There were plenty of wild blackberries to be picked and tulip fields to take her breath away. She has marveled at the glaciers of Alaska; walked the beaches of the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico; driven across the high lands and low lands of America and stood in awe of the Great
Smokey Mountains. She and Bill rode many a railroad mile in various trains across the U.S. Back in the day when you could cross the United States on AmTrac, they rode from Colorado to the East Coast and then across Canada to Vancouver through the Canadian Rockies.
Whether she was driving cross country with a grandchild, or panning for gold in the Rocky Mountains with a grandchild, she was always looking for ways to enjoy herself with her family. It would be hard to say what was her favorite trip, but there has been much reminiscing about the cruise that was taken through the Panama Canal.
She was born and raised a coal miner's daughter in Trinidad, Colorado. Living through the Great Depression, she learned the value of every nickel but nonetheless was an extraordinarily generous woman, who truly enjoyed helping others whenever she saw the need. She and Bill spent 30 years making thousands of wooden toys for needy children at Christmas time. Together, they were known as Santa Mac and Mrs. Santa Mac. She was proud of her support of St.
Mary's Catholic Church in Brush, Children's Hospital, the Santa
Claus Shop and numerous other charities.
The beauty of flowers in Springtime brought great joy to Helen. She knew everything about them and filled her yard with all the colors of the rainbow. Gardenia was her favorite. It was the flower she wore on her wedding day, 75 years ago. Because she passed along stalks of her flowers to the gardens of her family and friends, her garden lives on.
As a resident of Brush for the past 60+ years, she did not hesitate to have her voice heard among friends and neighbors. She let city officials know when she felt they were falling down on the job. She believed in civic pride and civic responsibility.
She was a very gifted artist, but was mainly known for her many craft talents. She won countless Blue Ribbons at the local County Fair for her knit, crochet and embroidery items.
Every one of the dozens of her family members have been recipients of her handmade items. Every grandchild, over 40 of them, received a knitted blanket, sweater, bonnet and booties at their birth. Visitors to her home would find her sitting in her recliner with thread of some kind going through her fingers. Helen never put anything off; she was never one to let grass grow under her feet. If there was something to be done (or even the slightest thought that something should be done), she started in on it with no hesitation.
She did not know the meaning of procrastination. Family members often echoed the sentiment that they wish they could be more like grandma in that way because they could sure get more done!
Helen loved to laugh. Oh, and how she loved to dance. She had such natural rhythm; she could dance to anything (she even took belly dance lessons after her children left the nest). But her favorite was the polka. So much so that she took a cruise a few years back to enjoy Molly B and her polka band. She was so energetic; she earned the nickname of the Energizer Bunny.
Helen will live forever in the grateful hearts of all who knew her. Mrs. Santa Mac has gone to join Mr. Santa Mac. May God rest their souls. Helen's son Melvin McDaniel predeceased her; she is survived by her daughter, Linda Heasler; her son Allan (Cheryl) McDaniel; son Robin McDaniel; nephew Tommy
(Phyllis) Johnson; grandchildren, Ronna (Larry) Thomas, Michael Blake, Shanti-Anna (Ray) Smallwood, Julia Heasler, Christine Massey, Paul
(Quailynn) McDaniel, Robert (Marie) McDaniel, Shantel Garcia, Monica McDaniel, Misty Wren, Alisha (Jon) Davis, Louise (Steven) Buckman, Samantha (Louis) Godinez; as well as numerus great and great-great grandchildren.
Viewing will be held at Heer Mortuary in Brush, Colorado on Tuesday, February 21, 2023 at 10:00 am, followed by Recitation of the Holy Rosary at 11:00 a.m. and Mass of Christian Burial at 11:30 a.m. At 1:00 p.m., all are invited to a potluck luncheon hosted at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Brush.