Helen Heywood Davis
Born January 8, 1924, Panguitch, Utah Died May 8, 2024, Glendale, Arizona
My aunt passed away recently. I researched and wrote a small life story about her.
One hundred years. A full century. Helen Heywood Hayward Davis lived a full life, full of sharing happiness, service, family, and friendship.
Born in Panguitch, Utah, Helen was the second child of Marie Evans and Leland Delong Heywood. Florence was her older sister. Her brother Frank and sisters Myrl, Jean Marie and Ludean were younger. Sadly, Ludean died nineteen days after being born. Helen’s parents were also born in Panguitch. Helen’s grandparents were early settlers in Panguitch. Helen’s mortal remains will rest next to her grandparents, parents and sister, Ludean, full circle in Panguitch.
Helen and Florence are standing; Frank L., Jean Marie and Myrl are sitting, about 1936
The circle of life took Helen from Panguitch to Richfield, to Moab, to Salt Lake City, Indiana, California, Oregon and Arizona. Leland worked for the U.S. Forest Service, first in Panguitch, then Richfield and Moab. The family was not wealthy, but during the Great Depression Leland’s regular salary provided economic security.
Leland and Marie valued education for son and daughters. Marie was an elementary school teacher in Panguitch and later in Cedar City during World War II. Even as early as second grade, Helen excelled in school subjects. When Helen was just seven years old, the Garfield County newspaper in Panguitch reported that Helen had perfect scores in both spelling and math. Later in Richfield, she read a dramatic reading for the July 24th celebrations in 1936. The family moved to Moab, Utah, where Helen attended Grand County High School, graduating in 1942. In her senior year, she was a member of the cast for the senior play, The Sixth Key. Her older sister had transferred from Utah Agricultural College (now USU) to the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Helen moved to Salt Lake City and completed her bachelor’s degree, becoming a lab technician in 1946. Helen told the story about how in the Summer of 1945, she went to a dance out in West Wendover, Nevada with the B-29 pilots the night before they left on the airplane Enola Gay. A few weeks later, on August 6, 1945, the pilots and plane dropped the A-bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
After completing a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah, Helen married James S. Hayward of Brazil, Indiana. He had enlisted in the military during the war and returned to finish his degree in journalism at the University of Illinois. They met in Salt Lake City. In 1950, Helen and Jim lived in Mission San Buenaventura, Ventura, California. Helen worked as a medical technician. He worked in advertising at a newspaper. In February of 1951, they welcomed a son, Charles Allen.
Myrl, Helen, Jean Marie and Florence, Santa Barbara, California, 1963
Helen became a full-time mother, living in California and Oregon. She helped with First Presbyterian summer classes in San Luis Obispo. In Pendleton, the family lived in a large enough place to have horses. She had many friends in both the Presbyterian Church and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Jim and Helen divorced in the mid-1970s. From Oregon, Helen moved back to San Luis Obispo where she bought a home and worked managing an R.V. Park at Pismo Beach. She met Marvin Davis, a widowed farmer from the Central Valley who spent winters at the R.V. Park. They married in the summer of 1977. Marvin and Helen divided their time in San Luis Obispo and Tranquility. Helen often remarked about the nine happy years of marriage with Marvin, saying “he was good to her.” When family visited, she happily went to the children’s matinee of “Winnie the Pooh” with her nephew and his two young children. The air-conditioned movie theater and the walk along the San Luis Obispo Creek in downtown San Luis Obispo remains a joyful memory. Her granddaughter, Kacie Payant remembered the good times visiting the Hearst Castle in nearby San Simeon. In 2014, she moved closer to family in Glendale, Arizona.
Her full life blessed so many lives. Kacie loved Helen’s giving and selfless personality. Helen’s former daughter-in-law and loving care-giver, Michelle Medlin saw how often Helen made people happy. Helen also loved animals. The peacocks of Glendale still come around, looking for her.
One hundred years of life. Friend, daughter, sister, student, technician, mother, teacher, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother – so many will remember Helen Heywood Hayward Davis. With ancient wisdom, the Preacher wisely teaches:
To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
We give thanks and rejoice with Helen.
A hundred years is impressive! My second mother was a nurse whose husband was killed at Iwo Jima and she lived to 99. She was very sharp until the end (1921-2020) and ended up raising 11 children. My birth mother died when I was barely 2 and left 4 children just as my father had returned from New Jersey and his dream of being a professional scouter. It was not until 4 years later that my father found my second mother who had 2 girls. It is really an amazing story how our combined family fared on a scout executive’s rather meager salary.