Imogene Catherine Hughes

Jean was born in Hudson, Wisconsin on January 12, 1925. She was the fourth of ten children born to Pearle C. and Ennon L. Helmick. They lived on a small farm on the outskirts of town. In 1939, her father and mother decided to move west to Washington State. Pearle auctioned all the animals and farm equipment to afford the move. They moved to the small town of Selah, Washington, close to Yakima. Most of the brothers and sisters old enough to work, including Jean, got jobs in the fields and orchards harvesting vegetables, fruit and hops. Some of them eventually got jobs in the canneries and packinghouses close by. At age fourteen, while still in high school, Jean did housework for an elderly couple. After graduating from high school, Jean moved to Yakama and then Seattle where she got a civil service job typing and taking shorthand. On the weekends, she would go dancing at the clubs. To do this, she had to forge her birth certificate to reflect that she was twenty-one. There she met and married Lon Aaron Arnold, who hailed from Iowa and had come to Seattle with the U.S. Coast Guard. In a few years, Jean had her first and only son, Lon Patrick Arnold. The young family was transferred to a military installation at Astoria, Oregon. Jean became a stay-at-home mom. After being discharged from the service, Lon got a job as a meter reader at Pacific Power and Light. Later, Jean got a civil service job at the Naval Installation at Tongue Point in Astoria, Oregon. Jean and Lon divorced in 1952. Jean continued to work at Tongue Point where she fell in love with William Douglas Hughes, a Navy Corpsman. They married and eventually moved to Eugene, Oregon, where Jean became a bookkeeper. She continued in this profession until she was 84 years old. While in Eugene, Jean learned to ski. She enjoyed it so much; she traveled to Europe, Canada and across the U.S.A. She skied until she was 79 years old. Doug and Jean moved to West Linn, Oregon, in 1969, where Jean developed her business and grew her bookkeeping customer base. Doug worked for Pacific Northwest Bell for 35 years. He died of cancer three years after he retired. Jean enjoyed cooking, entertaining, dancing, cruising and skiing. She made many friends all over the world as she traveled to every continent on the globe. Jean moved to Parker, Colorado in 2010 because of failing health and to be closer to her son and only grandson, Lon Douglas Arnold. She is survived by three brothers and one sister: Paul Helmick of Phoenix, Arizona; Herbert Helmick of Anaheim, California; Donald Helmick of Corona, California; and Arlene Jones Godwin of Garden Grove, California. Jean's son Lon Patrick Arnold, his wife Larita Arnold and grandson Lon Douglas Arnold live in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Please share your memories of Jean and condolences with her family by selecting the ""sign guestbook"" button below.