Helmer Clayton Wallan, a lifetime Central Oregonian, died
Sunday, August 25th in Redmond, Oregon, at the age of 94.
Helmer was born on April 25, 1925, at home in Crosby,
North Dakota, to Fritz and Cora (Anderson) Wallan.
At age 11, Helmer and his family moved to Bend, Oregon.
There he attended grade school and graduated from Bend High School in 1943.
He then joined the Navy. On June 28, 1947, Helmer and Bette Jean Davis married
at the First Lutheran Church in Bend.
Helmer and Bette moved to Madras in 1957 where Helmer worked for McCoulou’s
Department store managing the shoe department. A few years later, he opened We’s
Menswear and Family Shoes.
Helmer believed that in order to have a thriving community that you must give your
time and energy, which he did for over 60 years.
Helmer was an active member of the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in
Madras. He served in several capacities including church council, council president,
elder and deacon. As Bette would say “there probably aren’t many men that have
served on more unpaid committees than Helmer”.
In July 2001, Helmer married Carol Andrews, a friend from his grade school days
in Bend. They remained married until his death.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Bette Jean (Davis) Wallan, his
mother and father Cora and Fritz Wallan, and his brothers Floyd (Skip) Wallan,
Arthur Wallan and Luverne (Vernie) Wallan.
He is survived by his current wife, Carol (Andrews) Wallan; two daughters and
their families; Janice, Mark, Angela and Matthew Mallory of Milwaukie OR;
Katie, Scott and Sydney Vroman of Newbury Park, CA; and his son, Jim, Kim,
Sarah, Brett and Eric Wallan of Medford, OR. He has one great granddaughter,
Myah Mallory.
A funeral was held At the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Madras.
Burial was at Greenwood Cemetery in Bend.