Helen Ruth Yeaman was born on Jan. 28, 1932, in Georgetown, Idaho, to Ruth (Tippetts) and Ernest Darwin Yeaman. She was the second oldest of six children, the rest of whom were boys: Burnell, Garth, Michael, Raydell and Edy.
Being the second oldest, she served as her mother’s right hand. She helped with housework and provided quite a lot of care to her younger brothers. Her family was very fortunate to have such a loving and caring daughter and sister.
Her family lived in Georgetown and Afton for a time before moving to Kemmerer, where she graduated in 1949. Her graduating class was called the “49-ers.” Not only did they graduate in 1949, but there were also 49 classmates.
During high school, she worked as a “soda jerk” at Schow’s Drug. A fella named Al would come in a couple of nights a week for sodas and to get Helen’s attention. He was quite the jokester. And, as we all know, when guys like girls they tease them incessantly to show their affections.
Helen would be cleaning up, getting ready to close for the night, when Al would push all the syrup pumps and make a mess on the counter. This really aggravated Helen! Even though Al made her angry, she just couldn’t help but fall for his charm, good looks and sense of humor.
Helen and Peter Allen Snedden were married on Aug. 5, 1950, in Kemmerer.
Once they were married, Helen moved in with her in-laws at the Snedden ranch on the Hams Fork, where she helped with chores and such.
Some years later, the family moved into town, where she worked as a telephone operator. She would do this until she and Al adopted their daughter, Rae Ann, in 1957. She loved being a mother and a homemaker! In the early ’60s, Al — alongside his dad, David — started construction on their family home in the Willow Addition. The home took several years to complete.
In 1965, they adopted their son, Randall Allen. Shortly after adopting Randy, Al found a good-paying job in construction, which took their family to Alaska. They traveled back and forth from Wyoming to Alaska for some years before finally settling in Kemmerer for good.
In the meantime, Helen’s in-laws had created a mobile home park with land they had purchased down the road from Helen’s newly-built home. Helen helped the Snedden family business, Riverside, when she wasn’t busy taking care of her own family.
Helen enjoyed socializing with her friends and belonged to a ladies’ bowling team, sponsored by Riverside, and a ladies’ bridge group.
When she was 42 years old, she became a grandma for the first time, with five more to follow. Being a grandmother was her greatest joy — and sometimes greatest frustration!
Helen has three grandchildren from each of her children: Kacheena, T.K. and Cary; and Andy, Tyler and Alec. She also has seven great-grandchildren: Ciris, Tommy, Ryan, Mercades (preceded her in death), Havok, Adlynn and Aiden.
She loved taking her grandchildren on camping trips to Bear Lake, Jackson Lake and trips to Salt Lake City. Whenever a family member’s birthday came around, she would make their favorite dinner and dessert. Her most famous dessert recipe, handed down from her mother-in-law, was a scrumptious chocolate cake with chocolate whipped cream frosting.
She was a devoted member of the LDS church. She enjoyed participating in church activities, Relief Society, doing service work at the temple, and she had numerous friends within the LDS community.
Helen’s beloved husband, Al, passed away in 2001, after 52 years of marriage. She continued to operate the family business, Riverside RV Park, along with her sister-in-law, Marguerite Gunter Daneluke, until she retired in the mid-2000s.
After retiring, she spent time doing what she did best, spending time with her family, babysitting her great-grandchildren and traveling to Idaho and Oklahoma several times a year to see grandchildren. She even went on a weeklong trip to Branson, Missouri.
In her early 80s, Helen needed extra care and was moved to Pocatello, Idaho, to an assisted living center, where her granddaughter could also help take care of her. While in Pocatello, her granddaughter and grandson-in-law would take her to movies, dinner, long rides and even traveled a few times.
October 2023 was the last time she was able to get out with her granddaughter for a ride to see the fall colors. She got sick shortly after that and steadily declined. Her family was by her side when she passed on Monday, Feb. 19.
She is survived by her daughter, Rae Ann Kominsky of Kemmerer; granddaughter, Kacheena Schramm (Scott) of Pocatello, Idaho; grandson, T.K. Kominsky (Dana) of Tahlequah, Oklahoma; grandson, Cary Kominsky (Amber) of Kemmerer; grandson, Andrew Snedden of Kemmerer; grandson, Tyler Snedden (Kara) of Penrose, Colorado; grandson, Alec Snedden of Deer Valley, Washington; and six great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Peter “Al”; brothers, Burnell, Garth, Michael, Raydell and Edy; son, Randy; and great-granddaughter, Mercades.
Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 27, at Ball Family Chapel, in Kemmerer. Funeral service will be from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at the Kemmerer LDS Stake Center, 1584 3rd West Ave., Kemmerer.
