(March 20, 1929 - July 30, 2024)
Our hearts are broken; Helmi has passed away and we miss her already so much. Wife of Phillip Sawchyn, she leaves behind her wonderful son and best friend Paul (Kari) and her grandson Gabriel.
Extended family include brothers and sister-in-laws, Norman (Susan), late Michael (Venie), late Nicholas, Roseann Turyk (late Steven), late Darnelle Harris, late Patrick, Marie Rathbone (Rodney), David Sawchyn, and Louise Nichols (Greg).
She dearly missed her parents the late Emil and Elaina Lind (nee Harju), her late brothers Whilho and Viljo, and her late sisters Helga Harju (late Carl), and Helena.
She also leaves many nieces and nephews.
Helmi Louise was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, the youngest of five children, to Finnish immigrant parents Emil and Elaina Lind. She would often recall growing up in the Hax-Max neighbourhood, a Finnish community in the area of Huron and Wellington St. W. known for its restaurants, steam baths, and the Finnish Hall, where her parents were caretakers. While proud of her Finnish heritage, she always told people she was Canadian above all else.
She played with friends near the locks where the Mill Market recently was located. Even as a small child, she helped her parents at the Finnish Hall on Thompson St. between Queen St. W. and Albert St. W. (now the International Bridge Plaza). Helmi cleaned the floors and chairs for functions and stoked the coal-fired boiler during colder months. The family all lived in the two-room apartment provided on the premises. She loved listening to the big bands when they played weekly at the hall for huge dances. She participated in Ukrainian dance lessons; her mother made her a Ukrainian-style dress to match the other children’s traditional clothes. She said the Ukrainian teacher would play the accordion and count, “Раз, два, три!” (One, Two, Three!) and then “we would dance like crazy!”
Helmi had few toys, but she always had a cat to play with since a cat was useful and could find its own food if necessary. When it was time for kindergarten at King George school, located where Kina Awiiya is today, her mother was told the class was full and to bring her daughter back next year. They left disappointed as Helmi had heard of all the wonderful toys to play with in kindergarten. She returned the next year and started school in grade one. When she was not in school, Helmi translated for her mother, who was a massage therapist, trained in Finland. Sometimes she worked for a few dollars, milk, bread, or a chicken.
On the last day of each elementary school year, Helmi waited excitedly with her classmates to go to Vic’s Lunch (Westside Café) where the teacher presented each student with a five-cent coupon for a free ice cream cone.
High school at Sault Technical School, currently The Tech, would focus on home economics, math, English, and training for young women like her to work in offices as secretaries. She did well but always said that her oldest sister was even brighter. She brought money into the household by waitressing in some of the Finnish restaurants and she helped her mother take in washing from the butcher. They would wash, bleach, and iron the aprons.
Helmi trained and competed with the Dynamos, a young women’s gymnastics and track and field team. The team travelled to other northern communities to compete. She is in a team picture that is part of a mural on a wall at the Finnish Rest Home.
Helmi worked at the Royal Bank on the corner of Bruce and Queen St. E. as a teller. She was an asset to the bank since she spoke Finnish fluently and helped many Finnish-speaking residents with their day-to-day banking. Duties included carrying bags of money with another teller to the main branch. When the tellers asked the manager to use his car to transfer the money as they feared they would be robbed, he arranged for the police to bring the paddy wagon around to drive the ladies to the other bank. Unfortunately, the back was rarely cleaned from the night before when it would have picked up anyone fighting or drinking in public. She recounted that it always smelled terrible. The lunch area was in the basement and included a practice target. All tellers, the manager, and his secretary had a bank-issued gun at hand. It was expected that if there was an attempted robbery, any employee could pull out their gun and shoot the robber!
When she had extra money, Helmi enjoyed travelling to places such as Las Vegas, New York, and Hawaii. She told her family that her ticket to Hawaii was made out in the name “Barbara” by mistake, so she was Barbara for that week.
Her mother passed away in 1952, and Helmi took over the care of her niece Anna-Liisa. She loved her very much and worked even harder to keep up an apartment for them to live in and provide everything her niece needed. Helmi would ask about Anna-Liisa regularly over the past few years. Helmi had dementia and did not know how much time had passed, but the memory of her niece did not fade.
After working at the bank during the day she would clean offices or do the bookkeeping for businesses and local hotels. Sometimes she used the airport shuttle to get from one hotel to another. During some of these trips she caught the eye of driver Philip Sawchyn and their romance began.
After their son was born and Phil first drove Helmi to their new home in the east end, she said, “Where are you taking me?” It seemed like they were moving out of town after living in the city centre all of her life. Helmi and Phil raised their son Paul and grew old together in the same house for 53 years.
The house was a happy home with a large yard, and many trees the family planted together. They grew vegetable gardens and Paul remembers picking peas in the sunshine together. Helmi would sing “You are My Sunshine” as they played in the yard and “Jesus Loves Me” when it was time for bed.
When her grandson Gabriel was born, she became known as Mummo, the Finnish word for grandma. She always liked to joke with young Gabriel, asking if he had a girlfriend or was married yet. They spoke some Finnish together and she was impressed with his pronunciation. Whenever they parted, she would say "See you later, alligator!" and he would respond "In a while, crocodile!"
Recently, even though dementia had taken many of her memories and many times she could not recognize her husband, she told her son that her husband, Philip Sawchyn, saved her. He provided a beautiful home for them to live in, took her on trips, drove her where she needed to go, and loved her. She was extremely grateful for his love and support.
The family would like to thank the compassionate and patient staff at the Sault Area Hospital including many doctors, nurses and all the support staff and PSW’s. Thank you to the caring staff at Van Daele
Manor. Our appreciation also extends to the staff at the Alzheimer's Society for their support. In particular, we extend special thanks to Kayla Hicks and Jaimie Furkey from the Alzheimer's Society. These outstanding women put a smile on Helmi’s face, calmed her mind and made her very happy during and after their visits.
Arrangements are entrusted to the Arthur Funeral Home - Barton and Kiteley Chapel (492 Wellington St.E, 705-759-2522). A private visitation is being held on Friday August 2, 2024 followed by interment at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery at 3 pm (all welcome to attend). Memorial donations to the Sault Area Hospital Foundation, the Sault Humane Society (especially for the cats), or the Alzheimer’s Society would be appreciated by the family. Online condolences and tributes can be made and found at www.arthurfuneralhome.com.
Miss Me But Let Me Go by Christina Rossetti (modified by Helmi Sawchyn)
Now I have reached the end of the road,
And the sun has set the last time for me
Please miss me a little - but not too long
And not with your head bowed low, but with a smile
Remember the love and joy that we once did share
Miss me – but feel free to let me go.
For this is one journey we all must take
And each must take alone
And each must go alone
It’s all part of life’s plan
Another step on the road to home.
Should you be lonely and sick of heart
Go to the friends you know
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds.
Miss me but let me go.