Helen Elaine Johnson was born on September 9, 1923, to John and Mary Ballo and died October 4, 2014. She was born, raised and lived in Crystal Falls for most of her life. Following graduation from Crystal Falls High School she resided for a short period in Chicago during the war years. She returned to Crystal Falls where she married Hugo R. Johnson in 1946. Helen did not want a funeral and requested that her cremated remains be buried with her husband. She was a member of the VFW and American Legion Auxiliarys and was involved with Harbour House and the Crystal Falls Theater for a number of years. Helen is survived by four children, Terry (Sharon) Johnson, Pam Quayle, Anne (Joe) Novitsky, and Alan Johnson. Nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren also survive. She was preceded in death by her husband, Hugo, three sisters, Irene, Anna, and Matilda, and two brothers, John and Rudy. Helen: • Was born before her time. • Would rather play baseball with her kids than cook. • Was an outdoor enthusiast who enjoyed walking through the woods near her home. • Loved to dance. • Planted a Lombardi Poplar in her back yard to prove a point. • Had curl-up-in-a-ball-under-the-bed toothaches as a child and poker straight hair so she married a man with good teeth and curly hair so as to give her kids a better genetic chance. • Routinely cut the hair of all the boys in the neighborhood. • Taught herself to drive by observation in the days of stick shifts. • Had a terrible sense of direction. • Encouraged her children to continue their educations. • Joined the snowmobile club for the jacket and parties. • Was much wiser than she knew. The family has chosen the Jacobs-Plowe Funeral Home, Crystal Falls to honor Helen's Legacy of Life. You may light a candle in remembrance of Helen, or leave a condolence for her family online at www.JacobsFuneralHomes.com