Helen Samson

Helen Samson, 89,

Minot, passed away Mon-

day, May 14, 2018, at

Trinity Hospital in Minot.

Helen Odland was born

February 3, 1929, the

daughter of Tollef and

Mabel (Johnson) Odland,

in Kenmare, ND. She was

raised and educated in

Kenmare and graduated

from Kenmare High

School in 1947. She at-

tended Minot State

Teacher’s College, where

she received her Standard

Teaching Certificate in

Elementary Education in

1949.

Helen began her teach-

ing career in Leeds, where

she met another young

teacher named Lyle Sam-

son. Helen and Lyle were

married on August 27,

1951, in Kenmare. A

career change for Lyle in

1954 led to a move to Vel-

va, where Helen contin-

ued her teaching career.

In 1957 they moved to

Bottineau, where they

remained for 22 years.

During this time, Helen

taught in Bottineau and

Souris. Early on in Bot-

tineau they established

their first cabin on Lake

Metigoshe, the

“Hide-Away Hut.” Later

they worked with friends

to develop the Oakshore

area of Lake Metigoshe.

The lake became a focal

point of family activities,

and many of the best fam-

ily memories were made

there over the years. The

cabin remains in the fami-

ly today.

In 1973, they moved to

Minot where Helen taught

in Sawyer. In 1979, they

moved to Bismarck. Helen

began teaching in Wilton,

primarily working with

the Title One program for

children with special

needs, and eventually

becoming elementary

principal. In 1989, they

moved back to Minot,

where Helen worked for

many years alongside Lyle

in the directorship of the

Manitoba-North Dakota

Zero-Tillage Farmer’s As-

sociation. During this

time, she also spent many

years as a volunteer at the

Trinity Hospital ICU wait-

ing room.

Lyle passed away

March 3, 2011. Following

his death, Helen contin-

ued to reside in Minot. In

January of 2013, she esta-

blished her new home at

The View assisted living

center, where she again

developed many close

friendships.

Helen was a wonderful

wife, mother, grand-

mother, and great- grand-

mother who enjoyed sing-

ing, playing the organ and

piano, listening to music,

knitting, crocheting, and

cross-stitching. She loved

baking and cooking and

was known for her

homemade buns, baked

beans, chocolate chip

cookies and butterscotch

Christmas cookies. Most

of all she loved spending

time with her children

and grandchildren.

Helen was a longtime

member of Christ Luth-

eran Church in Minot.

Her loving family in-

cludes: sons, Gary (Car-

men) Samson, Minot, and

Tom (Lynn Brokaw) Sam-

son, Bismarck; grandchil-

dren, Matthew (Marcela)

Samson, and Afton and

Brett Samson; four

great-grandchildren,

Crew, Jaxen, Nash, and

Kip Samson; and

numerous nieces,

nephews and cousins.

Helen was preceded in

death by: her parents;

husband of 59 years, Lyle;

grandson, Brady Samson;

brother, John (DeMaris)

Odland.

Funeral: Thursday,

May 17, 2018,at 11:00

a.m. at Zion Lutheran-

Church, Minot.

Interment: Rosehill

Memorial Park, Minot,

ND.

Visitation: Wednesday

from 5 to 7 p.m. at

Thompson-Larson Fun-

eral Home, Minot.

Memorials: are pre-

ferred to Metigoshe

Ministries/Camp Meti-

goshe or Make A Wish

Foundation.

Those wishing to sign

the online register and

share memories may ac-

cess the online obituaries

section at (www.

thompson-larson.com).