LEWISTON — Helen J. Stelmok, 85, died Jan. 7, at a Lewiston health care facility.

She was born in Lewiston, Jan. 24, 1925, the daughter of Mikolaj and Katherine Sakowska Klimek, both from Rzeszow, Poland.

Educated in Lewiston schools, Helen met the love of her life, Anthony Stelmok of Auburn at a dance at Crowley’s Junction and the two were married Aug. 19, 1944. The couple raised a family and lived a full life together on their farm on Maple Hill in Auburn, until Tony’s death in 2005. They raised two children, Linda who with her husband Les Bickford built a house next to the family farm, and a son Jerry of Atkinson.

Helen and Tony’s lives were wrapped around the farm, family, friends and animals and they were most content with these pleasures close at hand. Travel around the state was sufficient for both of them. They enjoyed dancing, dining out, and playing cards; in later years regularly with Linda and Les.

Helen was an excellent cook and kept an immaculate house; always a challenge on a working farm. Not one to enjoy working around a dairy herd, Helen’s chief role around the farm was packing hundreds of pounds of tomatoes for market, and canning and preserving fruits and vegetables.

After her children were grown, she worked seasonally, packing apples at West Breeze Orchards on Perkins Ridge Road. For a time in the 1960s and 1970s, she raised several beautiful litters of Old English Sheepdog puppies.

After Tony’s death in 2005, Helen enjoyed living at the Great Falls Esplanade in Auburn. She enjoyed new and old friends, and activities in several Senior citizens’ groups. She especially enjoyed shopping and day trips with Linda and visiting with her beloved white dog, Callie and Linda’s cats Timmy and Tippy.

She is survived by her daughter, Linda; son, Jerry and his partner; Andrea Myers; three grandchildren, David Stelmok of Portland, Kristin Stelmok and husband, Steven Cooney, of Conway, N.H., and Noah Stelmok and wife, Laura Bernard Stelmok, of Rockland, one stepgreat-grandson, Finian Conte of Rockland; brother-in-law, Frank Bednarcyzk of Lewiston; and former daughter-in-law, Debbie Williams of Westport.

Besides Tony, she was predeceased by her parents; a sister, Stephana Bednarczyk; and her son-in-law, Leslie Bickford.

The family wishes to thank the caregivers at The Marshwood Center in Lewiston for their compassionate care of Helen during her final days.

You are invited to share your condolences with the Stelmok family by visiting her guest book at www.thefortingrouplewiston.com.