Helga Elli Steele

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our amazing, strong, kind, generous, and very loved mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, Helga E. Steele, from Parkinson's complications at the age of 84.

Helga was born in Vienna, Austria and lived her life both in Germany and then the United States. She was a kind-hearted person who easily made life-long friends with anyone she would meet.

She was instantly welcomed into the hearts of those that were fortunate to meet her and spend time getting to know her. I know that I not only speak for myself, but for my siblings as well, when I recall school friends saying, "Your mom is so cool!" and "You are so lucky!" Yes, she was super cool and yes, we were so very lucky to have had her in our lives. She was our mother and our friend, and we loved her so very much!

Most people know that Helga was a very creative and talented individual. She sewed, knitted, and crotched many beautiful items that we still cherish today. She also loved gardening, and the evidence of her green-thumb landscaping is still blooming every spring and summer.

She worked at Poudre Valley Hospital and later as a caretaker for several elderly individuals. She was so liked by the individuals she cared for, and their families, that she became like a family member to them. This, of course, was not a surprise to any of us. We, too, were lucky to be the recipients of our mother's care and love as children and adults.

It is also important to note how much she cherished and loved her grandchildren. They, in turn, also loved her spirit, kind nature, spunk, and sense of adventure. They enjoyed spending time with her and loved their oma very much.

We would like to thank our family-friend Jennifer for the love, kindness, and friendship she shared with our mother. In addition, we thank her long-time care givers and friends Amy, Cathy, Rita, and the Dignity Hospice staff Macy, Nathan, Kathy, Cheri, Dawne, Deloris, and Grace for the wonderful care they gave our mother. As well, a huge thank you to Kathy, her daughter, and Shawn, her son, for the years of care and love they so generously bestowed upon our mother.

We have so many lovely memories of our mother, Helga, and hope that you do, too. We cherish the time we had with her, and she will continue to live on in our hearts. Thank you for celebrating our mom with us.

Helga is survived by her brother, Hans Peter Ludwig, daughters, Kathy Novotny and Sandra Nelson (son-in-law Mark Nelson), sons, Frank Bäcker and Shawn Salas, as well as, her grandchildren, Calis, Lauren, Shalyn, Ada, Nils, and Kendra, in addition, her great-grandchildren Alyssa, Mia, Berlin, and Ava.