Helena Hand Bak

Helena Hand Bak, 91, of Bremen passed away on Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at home. She was born on April 29, 1924 to Clifton G. and Esther (King) Crouse in Queen Anne, Maryland. Helena graduated from Ridgely High School in Maryland and went on to pursue her Master’s in Education, attending Bridgewater College in Virginia, Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. She worked as a teacher for thirty years, starting out at Bremen Elementary School with kindergarteners, and won Teacher of the Year several years in a row. Before retiring in Bremen, she taught kindergarten in Three Rivers, Michigan for the last fifteen years of her career. During her time in Three Rivers, Helena was very involved at Camp Eberhart and she became known as their “First Lady.” Helena enjoyed activities that brought color into her world; quilting, oil painting, traveling, and gardening were a few of her favorite pastimes. She was also a talented singer with perfect pitch, and she used this talent as a member of the Marshall County Extension Homemakers and Chorus. Writing was Helena’s true passion. Her journals line the shelves of her home, and at the age of 89, she became a published author of a book called The Loves in My Life. Helena had an enthusiasm and passion for life, often spreading her joy to those around her. She remained positive even in her suffering; those that are closest to Helena remember her as a wonderful, kindhearted woman. Helena is survived by her husband of twelve years, Harvey C. Bak of Bremen; two children, Constance (Robert) Staunton and Jay Hand, both of Lenoir City, TN; two stepchildren, Christine Colburn of Defiance, OH and Dale Bak of Sherwood, OH; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; seven step-grandchildren; two great step-grandchildren; and four siblings, Merle (Jean) Crouse of St. Cloud, FL, Lois Teeter of Hawaii, Verna (Bob) Calloway of Queen Anne, MD, and Joyce (Frank) Zeigler of Ridgely, MD. She was preceded in death by her first husband of 54 years, Dale Hand.A memorial service in honor of Helena will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, May 14, 2016 at Mishler Funeral Home, Bremen, IN. Memorial contributions may be directed to Camp Eberhart or Community Hospital of Bremen.