Generous volunteer an inspiration
Helen Walton Naslund, a small, gray-haired energetic woman, has filled her life with family, friends, work and volunteer service to the North Idaho community, where she has lived for more than three-quarters of a century. Recently at the Museum of North Idaho’s annual spring meeting and dinner, members honored her with the Museum’s Friends of History Award.
Naslund, her parents and brother arrived in Coeur d’Alene in 1927 when the Forest Service transferred her father, William Clack, from Montana to North Idaho. She grew up living on Sherman Avenue “…in a house,” she says, “that is no longer there.”
After graduation from Coeur d’Alene High School, she continued her education and graduated from St. Luke’s School of Nursing in Spokane.
She recalls that her nursing career included employment at Lake City Hospital on Third Street, the Home Hospital at Third and Foster and the office of Rex T. Henson, M.D.
She and her husband, the late Reed Walton, became parents of two daughters and one son. Daughter Lujenne Conti, and son Jim Walton, live in Coeur d’Alene, while daughter Marjorie Storkson lives in Mukilteo, Wash. For many years, the Waltons operated Walton’s Auto Supply at Fifth and Sherman. Naslund later married Glen Naslund, who is now deceased.
Naslund began her association with the museum when she was elected to the four-year-old board of directors in 1972. She and Loretta Dunnigan were the first women to join the board and Naslund served until 1979.
During her tenure, the museum opened its first facility in the Fort Sherman Powder Magazine on the North Idaho College Campus. The red brick building with its heavy iron shutters and surrounded by green lawn, now houses the college museum.
Naslund chuckles as she explains part of her job as MNI board member: “I was in charge of getting volunteers for the museum and when volunteers didn’t show up – I volunteered.” She continued to volunteer even after her term on the board ended in 1979, the same year the museum moved east to its present location on the Sherman Avenue side of City Park.
In 1990 she took over the management of the museum’s gift shop where, on most afternoons, she greets visitors, sells gifts, tickets, memberships and answers questions about the museum and the Coeur d’Alene area. According to museum director Dorothy Dahlgren, this last year alone, Naslund gave 200 hours of service.
In addition to Naslund’s volunteerism at the museum, her community activities have included 30 years with the Camp Fire Girls and the running of the organization’s Camp Neewahlu day camp. For more than 50 years she was associated with the University of Idaho’s Extension Homemakers as a member of the Happy Homemakers Club and the Kootenai County Homemakers’ Council.
She explains the purpose of that organization: “At that time there were not the magazines, television and radio shows and the advertising like we have now to bring new ideas in decorating, home management and cooking to women in the home – particularly rural women. This program did that. There were about 20 women in a club and two of the group would go to extension classes that taught them how to do new things. Then, those two would go back to their club and teach other members what they had learned. There were 28 of these clubs.”
She remembers learning how to make a pair of leather gloves. Today she utilizes her sewing and decorative skills by making little, fabric “hats” to decorate the jars of huckleberry jam sold in the gift shop.”
In a busy life, it is apparent that her deepest interest is history. “I always liked history,” she says. “In school, history was a favorite subject.” She also says that she is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and has been an officer in that organization.
When asked about what she receives in return for the hours of volunteer service she has given, she thinks a moment and says, “There is satisfaction in seeing things kept – things that are fast disappearing. Things change so fast.
“And I like meeting people. I feel I am a sort of goodwill ambassador.”
There are many people to meet. She says that visitors come from all over – Europe, Africa, Japan and all parts of the United States. As we talk she pauses to greet a family of three from Ohio who buy tickets to see the continuing exhibits and the current, featured exhibit, “Highway 10.”
Another group heads for the door and she thanks them for coming in. On a Saturday afternoon there is a small but steady stream of visitors.
While Naslund has given generously of her time to the museum and other community activities she also has given something else.
Dahlgren, who has worked closely with Naslund, defines that something as being “inspiration.”
She explains, carefully choosing her words: “Helen has been a real inspiration to me. She has such a positive attitude in dealing with life – its ups and downs. And she has shown me what one person can do for a community.”