Helen Mae Bell Shaffer
April 02, 1924 – December 24, 2013

Helen Mae Bell Shaffer, 89, Long time Inkom resident passed away at 2:00am Christmas Eve morning December 24th, while being comforted by family members.
Helen Mae Bell of Inkom was born on April 2nd, 1924 to Rebecca Cathrine Ivers Bell and Morris Charles Bell in Pocatello, Idaho. During Helen’s early years she resided in Lava Hot Springs with her parents where her Father ran a sawmill and raised his family of 4 daughters and 3 sons. They later moved to Inkom where her Father also ran the local sawmill in the Buckskin area. Helen always enjoyed the Inkom area and the wonderful people that called Inkom home. Helen lived in Inkom for the remainder of her life.
Helen was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints where she and her husband were sealed in the Logan, Utah LDS temple on February 28th, 1948. Helen was dedicated to and held many church callings including; Primary Presidency, Young Womens, Chair of the Green & Gold Balls and the Relief Society. She spent many years teaching within these organizations. Helen served with her husband from 1993 – 1995 in the Texas, McCallen mission.
Helen always had plenty of ambition and when she was young she made money working at an ice cream shop. Later she was a phone operator for Mountain Bell. Probably her favorite job in her early years was as a waitress and cook at the old highway in on Main Street in Inkom. This is where she learned many of her cooking skills that many were able to partake of and enjoy. These skills and other domestic abilities were readily passed along to her daughters and granddaughters ensuring that these talents will live on in the Shaffer family for generations to come. In later years, Helen was very proud of her many years of service with the United States Post Office as Post Master in Inkom.
Helen liked music and loved to dance and her family very much enjoyed the outdoors with fishing and camping trips being regular summer activities both before and after her marriage. Trips to Yellowstone Park and Island Park were highlights for many years.
Helen was very outgoing and friendly during her school years and she drew the attention of many boyfriends during her teen years. While attending high school in Inkom, Helen met Tim Shaffer and they became friends. When Helen was 15 years old, the news of the bombing of Pearl Harbor reached Inkom and many of the young men were off to war……..including Tim Shaffer. When Tim came home on a leave from the Pacific, he and Helen were married on February, 22nd 1944.
Tim and Helen started their family even before the war was over and as their family quickly grew it became their focus in life although Helen was always compassionate to others that were in need. Tim and Helen were most proud of their posterity which grew to grand proportions over the years.
Helen is survived by: 5 children, Timothy (Leta) Shaffer of Inkom, Idaho, Peggy (Ron) Salvesen of Meridian, Idaho, Pamela (George) Hoge of Chubbuck, Idaho, Cindy (James) Howell of Spanish Fork, Utah and Rebecca (Bret) Rowe of Pocatello, Idaho, 25 Grandchildren, 70 Great Grandchildren, 2 Great, Great Grandchildren, 2 Brothers (Keith Bell & Tom Bell) & 1 Sister (Beverly Phillips).
Helen was preceded in death by: her Parents, Husband, Granddaughter (Kandace Jo Rowe), Great Grandson (Cooper Harding) and son-in-law (Ross Bosworth), 2 sisters (Arcille Willey Green & Grace Ingram) & 1 brother (Art Bell).
Helen was cared for following Tim’s death in Inkom by Zack and Karen Rowe (Grandson/Granddaughter) and other family members and was able to live out her life here in her long-time Inkom home.
Helen Mae was a dedicated Daughter of her father in heaven and Daughter/Mother of her eternal family. She was a great example of service, caring and charity for all that knew her. She will be deeply missed by her posterity and others that knew her as her influence lives on with all of us forever.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 28, at 12 noon in the Inkom LDS Ward Chapel. Friends may visit with the Shaffer family on Saturday prior to services from 10:30-11:45 am. Burial will be in the Inkom Cemetery.