Helen Stoner
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Following a brief illness Helen Laurel Anderson Johnson Stoner died on April 26, 2022, surrounded by her family. She lived life to the fullest to the very end, living independently until her final month.
Helen was born in Manitowoc, WI on November 13, 1926, married Norman Lee Johnson in 1949, and was widowed in 1970. She married George Andrew Stoner in 1971 (deceased). Helen is survived by her two daughters, Cyd Roberts (Joe Murray) and Tori Rosenthal (Mike). She had three granddaughters, Tori Roberts, Lainey Sloman (Beck), and Haley Rosenthal (Ryan Webb), and one great-grandson, Shel Sloman. Helen is also survived by her brother, Donald Anderson.
Helen attended the University of Minnesota and then worked at The Cradle in Chicago providing home care for newly adopted infants, which provided her wisdom and expertise as a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Helen lived many places in her life including Wisconsin, Algeria, Washington, Oklahoma, Colorado, Oregon, Wyoming, and Nevada; moving to Las Vegas at age 95.
She volunteered in every community in which she lived, libraries being her niche. Helen instilled in her daughters, granddaughters, and great-grandson the importance of kindness, generosity, and helping others.
She played pickleball until the age of 92, winning gold medals in the Senior Olympic Games and making a wonderful group of friends. Helen maintained a close relationship with "Les Amies de Tennis", lasting over 52 years, and traveled the world with these wonderful friends.
Helen enjoyed her morning trip to Starbucks, weekly coffee dates with dear friends, Friday night dinners with Linda, and Sunday dinners with family. The family cabin in Florissant, Colorado was her retreat. Chardonnay (two glasses, but just 4 ounces each) and Goldfish crackers were a nightly ritual, and most likely contributed to her longevity. Helen was an avid slots player in Cripple Creek, CO; Reno with her brothers and their wives; and most recently at the Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas. She shared her final winnings with her granddaughters.
No service is planned, but her loving family asks you to hit a tennis ball, swing a pickleball paddle, pull a slot machine arm, or raise a glass of Chardonnay in her memory. Contributions in her memory may be made to the Laramie County Library Foundation (lclsonline.org).