Helen Zahn
1928-2020
Helen Ann Zahn, age 91, died on September 28, 2020, at her home in Methow, WA. She was born on October 5, 1928, in East Omak, WA. Her parents, Ole and Caroline Skylstad, were both immigrants from Norway.
During the Depression years, the Skystad’s grew or traded for most of their food, and they planted some apple trees to start an orchard. Helen learned the skills of managing a kitchen from her mother. She went to high school in Pateros, and in 1946, the same year she graduated, she was chosen “Miss Methow” to ride on a float in the Wenatchee Apple Blossom Festival.
Soon after Helen began taking classes at Wenatchee Valley College, she started dating Douglas Zahn, a young man who had served in the U.S. Army, in the Pacific Theater, during World War II, and was preparing to start college at Washington State College in Pullman, WA. They were engaged in early 1947, and Helen transferred to Washington State College, to work on a home economics degree and to be near Doug. They were married on December 28, 1947.
After Doug got his master’s degree in agriculture, the Zahn’s moved back to the Methow, buying a house just south of the town of Methow.
In addition to taking care of the household, Helen opened a fruit stand next to their house. This successful venture persevered for over two decades.
Helen was an excellent cook and enjoyed preparing meals for family, friends, potlucks, fundraisers, and to help neighbors in need, or anyone who dropped by around mealtime. She raised a large vegetable garden. Most summers, she preserved hundreds of containers of fruits and frozen vegetables.
She was born in the Roaring Twenties, lived through the Great Depression of the 1930’s, knew the frugal years of World War II, witnessed the great flood of 1948 and watched uncountable forest fires from her home by the Methow River.
Helen was quick with a joke, strong in her convictions, hardworking, capable of meeting daily challenges, generous and loving, and she was loved. She was proficient with a sewing machine, mixing bowl, garden hoe and oven.
Helen had four children, Karen, Eric, Dale and Shirley, and a foster son, Don.
About this scholarship
The scholarship in memory of Helen and her husband, Doug, provides opportunities to students from Okanogan County raised in tree fruit industry families.