Helen Perkins Messick

Helen Perkins Messick died Oct. 29, 2015, peacefully, at her home in Palmer, surrounded by her family and her favorite dog, Molly.

Helen was born May 20, 1935, in Chico, California. She graduated from Reed College in 1958 and began her teaching career by traveling to Europe, stopping in Germany where she taught school for two years. In 1962, she was returning from Germany and detoured to Alaska, where she met Jim Messick literally over a smoking gun barrel in his bedroom after an ice skating party. They dated for two weeks before getting engaged and were married for 38 years, beginning on June 30, 1963. For several years, Helen taught in the Anchorage area at Lake Otis, Turnagain, and Creekside elementary schools. Her passion was literacy: teaching reading and writing, and her students loved her for her creative approaches.

In 1972, Helen traded her teaching job for the full-time job of raising her two children, Mike and Jennifer. She also became a part-time “Avon Lady”, and in the 1980s, was the statewide distributor for Bosch Kitchen Machines, maintaining over 100 authorized dealers and demonstrators. Helen became known locally as the “Bread Lady”, as she taught bread-making classes through Community Schools and the State Fair, and baked hundreds of loaves of bread as fundraisers for school trips. She loved teaching and gave a special gift to many illiterate children and adults by teaching them to read through the Anchorage Literacy Project, as well as on her own. Helen was well-known for her compassion, sincerity and generosity, helping others whenever she saw an opportunity.

In retirement, Helen and her husband, Jim, operated a bed and breakfast on Lake Lucille for 13 years. Helen also enjoyed being a member of the Rose and Garden Club, as well as her local church, Wasilla Lake Church of the Nazarene. Her greatest passion and accomplishment was her five grandsons, whom she loved more than anything.

Helen was preceded in death by her mother, Virginia Heins; father, Fred Perkins; husband, Jim Messick; and niece, Julie Nilson. She is survived by her son, Mike Messick (Heather); and grandsons, Ethan, Erek, Aedan and Adam Messick; her daughter, Jennifer Messick Gilmour (Walt), and grandson, Luke Gilmour; her sister, Jean Nilson (Gary), of Rathdrum, Idaho; nephews, Jeff Nilson (Kristie) of Oceanside, California, Eric Nilson (Lisa), of Kennewick, Washington, and niece, Kathy West (Sam), of Rathdrum, Idaho.

A celebration of Helen’s life will be held at the Wasilla Lake Church of the Nazarene in Wasilla, Alaska, on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015, at 5 p.m.