Heber Virgil Hellewell

Heber Virgil Hellewell, 90, longtime Moses Lake resident, passed away Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009 at his home.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M., Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1515 S. Division St. with Bishop Don Tucker conducting. Interment will follow at Pioneer Memorial Gardens. A reception following the graveside service will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Rose Street Chapel. Visitation will be from 1:00 to 1:45 P.M. at the State Center on Dec. 10th. Arrangements are in care of Kayser’s Chapel and Crematory, Moses Lake. Please sign the online guestbook or leave a note for the family at www.kayserschapel.com.

Heber was born July 3, 1919 in Paul, Idaho, son of the late James and Elizabeth Hellewell. He was raised and educated in southern Idaho. He was married to Genevieve S. Hellewell on May 27, 1941 at the L.D.S. Temple in Logan, Utah. They continued to live in Heyburn for the next several years before moving to Moscow, Idaho where they lived for a short time prior to moving to Moses Lake in 1952. They lived together in Moses Lake until Genevieve passed away in 2006.

Heber came to Moses Lake to work for International Harvester. Once here, he became one of the first paid firemen in Moses Lake. Over the years, he worked as a bus driver and mechanic. He eventually became a farmer, a career he greatly enjoyed. Heber loved to collect and tell stories of Moses Lake’s history, create floats from recycled materials for the December parade, visit with friends and collect International Tractors and memorabilia. He credited his grandfather with teaching him to love his neighbor as himself, a belief he and his wife Genevieve shared. Many a day you would find him plowing out his neighbor’s snowy driveway or performing some other act of kindness.

Heber was a loving, husband and father to not only his own eight children, but also to two of his wife’s sisters that Heber and Genevieve cared for as teens and fourteen other children that they helped raise as part of their extended family. He loved children and even as he got older, he would stop to say hello, tease, smile at children wherever he went. He loved making mechanical swings and other toys or restoring tractors for the children who visited his farm to use.

Heber was preceded in death by his loving wife of more than than 64 years, Genevieve Surrage Hellewell, Moses Lake. He is survived by his children, H. Dale and Debra J. Hellewell, Royal Slope, Paulette P. and Vern Bartley, Bend, Ore., Randy L. Hellewell, Moses Lake, Vern C. and Gail M. Hellewell, Moses Lake, Bob V. Hellewell and Suzanne, Moses Lake, Tessa J. and Leonard J. O’Connor, Woodinville, Cindy L. and Bill Palmer, Moses Lake; one brother, George Hellewell, Heyburn, Idaho; four sister-in-laws whom he loved like sisters, Irene Phillips, Orem, Utah, Melba McCombs, Joseph, Utah, Charlene Cooper, Hayward, Calif., Ordema Knobel, Riverside, Calif.; 26 grandchildren, many great and great-great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews and extended family, including the Butterfields, and other children and grandchildren he helped raise and loved. One daughter, Genevieve Sherry Hellewell, two sisters, Louise Monson and Mary McAlister, and two brothers, Bill Hellewell and James Hellewell preceded him in death.

There are many among us that remember the strength, wisdom and love you had to offer. And the joy that the “Little Ones” brought you.

You’re home now Dad, with your beloved “Sweetheart”.

We miss you.