Helen Louise Dodd

Helen Louis Dodd was born May 19,1932 in Cromwell, Iowa.  Her loving parents were Wayne & Darline (Foster) Ruff.  My sister, Dorothy, was born in 1934.
Farming was really a tough way to make a living.  After much urging from relatives in Washington, the family hooked a 2-wheel trailer to their model A and moved West in 1936.  Settling in Yakima.
In 1948 they moved to Granger, they had a small dairy and raised a variety of crops.  Helen’s dad did custom hay bailing and, in the fall, used his truck for hauling corn silage.  Helen and her sister helped with the dairy, worked on the hay bales and learned how to drive a tractor; they cut asparagus for George Peabody down the road.
Helen graduated from Granger High School in 1950 and married her forever boyfriend Ollie M Dodd. They bought a small house in Granger.  Their daughter Karen and son Gary were born while they lived in town.  They moved to a small farm just east of town in 1959 with grapes and pasture.  Daughter Laurie was born that year.
In 1974 they purchased an adjoining farm with grapes and asparagus, they bought another grape vineyard in the 80’s, they were now farming 60 acres.  Ollie was still working full-time at the mill.  Helen was the #1 hired hand.  She loved the job; she could prune the grapes, run an asparagus crew and keep after the weeds.
In the mid 90’s they cut their farming ventures down to the original 10 acres, leasing out the pasture and grapes.
Helen soon had extra time on her hands and decided to get involved in the community, she was already very much a part of the Granger Alumni Association.  She joined the Chamber of Commerce in the early 2000’s and served as a treasurer for 2 years.  She also served a term of the Granger Planning Commission.  In 2006 she joined the Swimming Pool Committee and worked on many fundraising projects.  The Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheons were catered by the Swimming pool commerce.  Helen made the dessert.  The pool committee partnered with the “friends of Granger” in 2018 to create a Splash Park in the City’s downtown park.
In 2009 Granger celebrated their 100 years of being incorporated.  Helen and many others formed the Centennial Committee and along with their city held many activities throughout the year.  Helen served as the Grand Marshall in the Cherry Festival Parade that year.  The centennial Committee evolved into the Granger Historical Society in 2011; they were able to get across from the old Catholic Church and turned it into a museum.
In the fall of 2022, a lease was signed with the Sea Mar Corp to build the new Museum.

Helen and her husband Ollie had a love for fishing, camping and always having get togethers playing cards with dear friends. Helen’s home was the center of many Family activities, Holiday Dinners, Family reunions, Birthday parties, Baby showers & Weddings, and of course Christmas Eve which was a tradition in our Beautiful Family which started when our 1st grandchild was born.  Helen always was smiling and was always so happy to see or hear the good news she would hear about anybody, she would rejoice in happiness and just be so proud. She could always see the positive in anything.  And her faith in the lord was so inspiring to everyone who knew her.   Always willing to help wherever she could.  The one thing she always said and cherished so close to her heart was “I love my Beautiful Family and I’m so Proud of each and every one of them.  She had a heart of Gold and a Soul that would light up any room.
Helen was preceded in death by an infant son, her parents, husband Ollie Dodd, Daughter Laurie (Dodd) Rodriguez, Son in law Jesse Rodriguez, Daughter Karen (Dodd) Kobes, Son Gary Dodd and two Great Grandchildren Jessica Lee Nash and Isaac Daniel Nash.
She is survived by her Grandchildren Julie (Greg), Danny (Tonya), Jesse, Jeremy (Abby), Justin (Tina), Kevin (Alexa), Jacob.  18 Great Grandchildren and 7 Great Great Grandsons.  She is also survived by her nieces Debbie Ruff, Kathy Bellinger (Spanky), and Lissa Gile and son in law Richard Kobes, and daughter in law Gail Dodd.  And her living water Church family.
Celebration of life is to be held at the Smiths Funeral Home in Sunnyside.
 June 4th, 2026, Thursday- 11: 00a.m
Crematorium burial will follow at the lower valley family gardens
A potluck will be at the Living water Church in granger 

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