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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Obituary: Zeis, Helen Teresa

ZEIS, Helen Teresa October 20, 1928 - May 12, 2014 Helen grew up in the Spokane, Dalton Gardens, Coeur d’Alene area.

She met Hal Zeis at the Golden Glow Dairy in Coeur d’Alene, ID where they were both employed.

They married on May 17, 1951 in Moscow, ID; soon after they had six children in rapid succession.

Helen was a down-to-earth lady with a dash of spunk, who loved working with her hands, whether pulling weeds, helping Hal build their houses (she was unfazed by power tools) or erecting rock walls.

When she was 65 years of age, on an annual Mother’s Day hike around Tubbs Hill, someone challenged her to go parasailing.

She took that challenge (again unfazed).

Helen was mostly a stay-at-home mom with stints in the work world when needed; doing jobs as varied as waitressing to operating a fork lift.

She loved to travel, enjoyed climbing the family tree (chasing her ancestry).

She loved her family.

She loved the Lord.

She is survived by her children; Laurie Bergheim (Vancouver, WA), Dave Zeis, Daryl Zeis (Marlene), Linda Scotten (Ken), Diane Zeis (Ron Raska), and Danita Miller all from Spokane; eleven grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild; her twin brother Harold Mackin (Mary Ellen); sister Rose Ellen St. Denis, brothers Mike Mackin (Sharon) and Jim Mackin; as well as a large extended family.

She was preceded in death by her former husband Hal Zeis; parents Joseph and Margaret Mackin; brothers Lawrence Mackin, Francis Mackin (and his wife Vivian); sisters Mary Knox and Loretta Smith and their husbands Frank and Bernard respectively; sister-in-law Mary Ruth Mackin; as well as her great-granddaughters Taylor Wolverton and Keelin O’Regan.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2014 at the Valley Bible Church, 3021 S. Sullivan Rd., Spokane, WA, at 11:00 AM.