Helen A. Walker

Helen was born Feb. 18, 1945 in Chicago, daughter of the late Elden and Anne (Albert) Outcalt. She was the third of six children, and a lifelong resident of the area. She was married to Donald J. Alsteen between the years of 1962 and 1980.

As a strong, determined, young mother of three, she attended and graduated from Niagara High School in 1974, and accomplished the goal of getting her diploma. On Jan. 9, 1982. she married James A. Walker at Trinity United Methodist Church.

During her working years she held positions at Fugere Brothers, spent 14 years at M.J. Electric, and she owned Helping Hands for 25 years before gifting the business to her granddaughter and retiring in 2018.

In her free time, Helen enjoyed baking, loved to read, and she was skilled at sewing and crocheting. She also was also a great cook, with a known ability to cook anything on high, and her meals were wonderful, even if the timing was set by the smoke alarm.

She was a force to be reckoned with. Never shying away from hard work, and at times to her husband’s chagrin, she started many home remodeling projects with a hammer in her hand.

She was loving and kind-hearted, and played an instrumental role in establishing the Caring House, the community’s first shelter for survivors of domestic violence and their children.

Helen, known as “Mama” to her children, will be deeply missed. She leaves behind her loving husband, James; children, LouAnne (Larry Crittenden) Allard, Darren (Tracy) Alsteen, Tamara (Ken) Kuder, Julie Osieczonek and Chuck (Angie) Walker; grandchildren, Cory Allard, Morgan (Nick) Sparks, Brianna Allard, Alyssa (Seth) Stromberg, Kendra Alsteen, Carlie (Bill Hartwig) Stromberg, Jenna (Caleb Hingos) Alsteen, Keiley Alsteen, Tyler (Courtney) Fabry, Travis Paquin, Joey Kuder, Tadd (Lindsey) Marcell, Brandon Walker, Kayla Byrd and Christopher Walker; 14 great-grandchildren; a sister, Pearl Outcalt; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her siblings, Frank (Mary Lou) Outcalt, Judy Brown, Milo Outcalt and Elden Outcalt.

Visitation will be held Friday, April 25, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Erickson-Rochon & Nash Funeral Home in Iron Mountain. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Church in Iron Mountain with Fr. Martin Flynn presiding. Burial will be at Dickinson County Memorial Gardens.

Condolences to the family of Helen Walker may be expressed online at www.ernashfuneralhomes.com.

The family has entrusted the Erickson-Rochon & Nash Funeral Home of Iron Mountain with the arrangements.