Helen Margie (Carey) Jones was born on July 20, 1926, the third child to Ira and Bessie (Trainer) Carey in Miles City, MT. She was raised on the family ranch on Foster Creek, 8 miles west of Volborg. Helen followed sister Irene (Gresens) and brother Del Carey and was followed by sister Betty Ann (Barthelmess), sister Peggy (Barrett) and brother Randall Carey. She passed away peacefully at Hearts and Home Assisted Living on February 20, 2022.
Helen attended the Carey Malone School for the 1st grade, the 2nd & 3rd in Miles City and 4th through 8th at the Carey Malone again. On July 30, 1941 her father Ira Carey was killed in a horse accident on Main Street in Miles City.
Helen graduated from Custer County High School in 1944 and after High School she taught her first year at the Coalwood School with only a summer of college, due to the scarcity of teachers. In the summer of 1945, she attended Spearfish Teachers College, working toward a degree in elementary education.
Helen married Charles Allen (Casey) Jones on October 3, 1946 and they started their married life working for Levi Mackin. On November 4, 1947, their daughter Judy Ann joined the family.
By the time their daughter Margie Rae was born on December 25, 1949, they were working for Andrew Gaskill at Stacy. It was a hard winter and they had to be pulled through the snowbanks most of their way home with their new baby.
In 1951, they decided to ranch on their own and moved onto land owned by Casey and his brother Bud. They lived in a log house and had to pack or haul their water from a spring a quarter mile away. At this time Helen was teaching at the Carey Malone School.
Later in 1951 they bought more land from John Feil and moved into another log house. It was dug into a bank above a little dam and surrounded by a barn, out house, coal shed, small shop, corrals, and a windmill. SO, they only had to haul water 200 yards.
Access to this house was limited to seasonal at best, so when the weather was bad either car, pickup, or “little ford tractor” was left at the top of the hill, just a quarter mile walk away. Helen remained teaching at the Carey Malone School while they lived there.
In 1953, they bought more land from Bruce Orcutt, and also bought out Bud’s half interest.
In 1957, they bought a 10×48 trailer house and moved it onto a more accessible spot that they could drive to almost year-round. This new house had running water, electricity, furnace with a thermostat and a flush toilet, but NO AIR CONDITIONER. Helen continued teaching and Casey worked summers for the Montana Highway Dept. This worked well for them because Helen could cut hay with the “little ford tractor” during the day and Casey could sharpen sickles in the evening after work.
In 1963, they bought a house in Miles City so Helen could be with the girls during high school and Casey stayed at the ranch to care for their livestock.
In 1964, they leased the ranch to Neal and Irene Gresens and Casey moved to Miles City to work full time for the Montana Dept. of Transportation and Helen continued teaching at Kinsey.
After Casey’s heart attack in 1974, they both retired and went back to the ranch, if you could call that retiring. They restocked the ranch and enjoyed living in the country again, until Margie found Helen a job writing an area history book. She worked on it for over three years and was proud to present her book “As We Recall”.
Helen was very involved in family genealogy, and with her sister Irene Gresens, they took many trips to Iowa, Nebraska, and to the Salt Lake Library to do research. She even “pieced together” a letter in German, sending it to a parish in Germany, and received a reply “pieced together” in English. She supposed the letter she sent to the German was as humorous to him as the German’s letter was to her.
Casey’s health deteriorated in later years and they were forced to move into their home in the Yellowstone Valley so he could be closer to medical attention.
Casey passed away on April 4, 1999 and Helen continued to live in her home in the Valley. After Casey passed away she volunteered at the Range Riders Museum for several years.
In September 2018, she moved to Hearts and Home Assisted Living Facility until the time of her passing.
Helen was preceded in death by her parents Ira and Bessie Carey; step-father Newton Hollowell; sisters Irene Gresens, Betty Barthelmess, Peggy Barrett; brothers Del Carey and Randall Carey; brother-in-law’s Neal Gresens and Bob Barthelmess; and nephew Ira S. Carey.
She is survived by daughters Judy (Jim) Kalloch and Margie (Keith) Holmlund; sister-in-law’s Virginia Carey and Bernice Carey; brother-in-law Herb Barrett; as well as numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
Family will Receive Friends from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, February 25, 2022 at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City.
A Funeral Service will be held at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 26, 2022 at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Interment will follow at the Custer County Cemetery following the Funeral Service.
The family invites everyone to gather for a luncheon following the graveside at The Parlor, 1806 Main St., Miles City.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Helen’s name to the Range Riders Museum in Miles City.
Service Schedule
Family to Receive Friends
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Friday February 25, 2022
Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home
1717 Main Street
Miles City, Montana 59301
Funeral Service
2:00 p.m.
Saturday February 26, 2022
Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home
1717 Main Street
Miles City, Montana 59301
Interment
To follow immediately after the funeral service
Saturday February 26, 2022
Custer County Cemetery
Miles City, Montana 59301
Luncheon
To follow after the graveside
Saturday February 26, 2022
The Parlor
1806 Main St.
Miles City, Montana 59301
Service Schedule
Family to Receive Friends
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Friday February 25, 2022
Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home
1717 Main Street
Miles City, Montana 59301
Funeral Service
2:00 p.m.
Saturday February 26, 2022
Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home
1717 Main Street
Miles City, Montana 59301
Interment
To follow immediately after the funeral service
Saturday February 26, 2022
Custer County Cemetery
Miles City, Montana 59301
Luncheon
To follow after the graveside
Saturday February 26, 2022
The Parlor
1806 Main St.
Miles City, Montana 59301
Share
MARTHA CRANDALL says
my sympathy
Dolores Meidinger Willson says
Margie, Judy and all the rest of your family-
I am so sorry you have lost your Mother, Grandmother and special lady. She lived a good long life so you have wonderful memories to cherish. May you all be comforted knowing you are in our hearts.
Bub and Carlene Gaskill says
Condolences to the Jones family.
Deb Bartholomew and Family says
Marg and Families:
I am so very sorry to hear about your loss of Helen. She was an amazing, special lady. Always remember “When A Loved One Becomes A Memory That Memory Becomes A Treasure”. Helen will always be a Treasure in your hearts and never forgotten. Treasure all the memories as they will help thru difficult days. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Kathi Rooney Pfeifle says
To Helen’s family: I am so very sorry for the loss of Helen. She was always such a nice lady. You all are in my thoughts and prayers.
Pat Herzog says
Marg and Families.. so very sorry for your loss.. will hold all of you in our prayers 🙏 ❤️ Our deepest sympathy..Monte and Pat Herzog
Janet (Jones) Edmonds says
Judy, Margie and Famiies – Aunt Helen gave us all many great memories. She gave us all so much history of the Jones family. As well, she made sure when family from near and far came to visit, we were fed, entertained and happy. Such a good and kind woman. Memories are a blessing. Hugs to you all.
Katie Ridenhower says
Marg – and family I am sorry for your loss, she was a lovely lady and was always so pleasant to visit with.
Jackie Stroh says
So sorry for your Loss!
Pat Smith says
Marg, Keith and all Helen’s family, The world has lost a great lady. Your mom is one of the special people. Hugs for all of you.
Beth Ann Wiedeman says
Sending prayers to Helen’s family, helping them to remember the special person Helen was, and for comfort during this time of grief.
Jim & Marj Anderson says
Our condolences to the entire family.
Karen Morris says
With deepest sympathy. May you find comfort in your memories and in the fact that others care.
Helen Johnsen Deines says
Margie and Judy; I am so sorry to hear about your mom. Her life story brought back a memory of staying with you at the ranch in both a log cabin and the trlr. Your mom had to deal with 3 silly girls! Cherish all the memories … we are lucky to have had our moms to ripe old age.
bill janssen says
Marlyn and Alice spoke of her often. My condolences to the entire family.
Donna Leitholt-Taylor says
Margie, Kim, Tara, Piney, Judy, and Wanda. Your mother, grandmother and Aunt was wonderful person. Sending you all higs
Bruce Ingraham says
My thoughts are with through this difficult time. Mrs. Jones was my 5th and 6th grade teacher at Kinsey.
Susanne Galbraith says
Dear Margie, Keith, and all of the family, I am so very sorry for your loss. May her memory bring you blessings and comfort .
Preston L Willson says
Judy and Margie, I’m very sorry to see that Helen has passed. She (as was so much of her generation} was quite a person and lived an incredible life. may she rest in peace. We will be unable to attend the service since we’re going to be in South Dakota, but we will be thinking of you.
Jane & Frank Nelson says
So sorry to hear of Helen’s passing. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
Sandi Kohones and Jon Wilkerson says
We are so sorry to learn of your loss. Helen will be missed by all who knew her!
Bill Tramp, Carol Rodda says
Keith and Margie,
Carol and I will be missing a wonderful neighbor. You have our sympathies.
Carol and Bill
Janet Zook Hauptman says
Dear Judy, Margie, and families; Helen and Casey were wonderful neighbors. Our whole family loved their company. We had many, many good times together. I especially remember Helen’s strawberry patch, flower gardens, and her enthusiasm when writing her history book. I know the exact spot in the bookshelf that it is in still today. May Helen rest in peace. Sincerely, Janet Zook Hauptman
Andrea K Gonzales says
Aunt Helen and her smile and voice and laughter, will always be warm memories for me. As a child, I admired her patience and always calm demeanor no matter what was going on around her. I loved the way she “loved” Uncle Casey – the way she would smile and shake her head at all of the stories he would tell, and then chime in to embellish on those stories and tell us the way it really happened. She was thoughtful and generous and so kind. I loved her. I will miss her. 💕💕
Eileen Entzel says
To the family of Helen,
You are in my thoughts and prayers. May the good memories help in the days ahead.
Penny Wells (jessen) says
Sending hugs to the family.
Karson and Marie Farnum Kluver says
To Helen’s Family
Our thoughts and prayers are with. We always enjoyed our visits with Helen.
Mike & Patsy Davis says
Margie, Keith, Tara, Kimber, Piney and Families,
Judy , Jim & Families,
Love and prayers to all of you in the loss of your sweet Mom and Grandma! Hope to see you all tomorrow. HUGS!
Darla Wier says
Mrs. Jones was such a good teacher for my 5th and 6th grade years at Kinsey, and so caring to all of her students. She was such a beautiful lady. Keeping you in my thoughts.
Allen Edmonds says
Aunt Helen was a Treasure trove of family history and the Volborg area. She was a very gracious and loving lady that never knew a stranger. Aunt Helen and Uncle Casey would always remind us that the door was always open, coffees in the pot with snacks on the table, so stop in for a visit. Great conversations around the kitchen table, a hot cup of coffee, and tales of family events were always a special treat. Fond Memories to be cherished always.
Lillian Ostendorf says
Very sorry to hear Helen passed. Fun memories of her in her last years with mom Helen atHearts and Home . Our sincere condolences.
Tom and Lillian
mary janssen says
We are sorry for your loss. I remember her as she was my 1st grade teacher at the Divide School 1959 where my sister Jane and I attended. She taught me to read! Condolences from the Lew Janssen Family