Helena was born on February 13, 1898, in Southern Russia (Ukraine), in the village of Felsenbach, in the Borozenko Colony. In 1904, her parents moved to Pretoria, in the Orenburg colony in the Ural Mountains, where she grew up.

     The challenges of the post-Revolution years must have been more evident to Lena and her older siblings, than they were to the younger. This fact is apparent in that as conditions in Russia deteriorated, Lena became an ardent advocate for emigrating to Canada, determined to come on her own if need be.

     Within a year of arriving in Acme, Alberta, the others moved to a farm at Simons Valley but Lena was happy to remain in Acme, where she lived out the rest of long her life. She very quickly found work as a house-keeper.

     For years she worked as a housekeeper for an elderly gentleman named Davis, and developed a close bond with the family. The strength of that bond was evident in that she was given the role of surrogate ‘mother-of-the-groom’ at one family wedding. Lena provided home-cooked lunches to some children from a nearby school, and developed many close friendships, thus gaining the status of ‘Mother’ and ‘Grandma’, as recognition of the love and devotion she had given many of the younger generations of Acme.

     Surrounded by an English-speaking community, she developed her own style of the language, retaining a very old-country way of speaking that charmed the locals who saw no need to correct her grammar or pronunciation. She was always effective at making her wishes known, usually prefaced with “Fetch me some _____,” especially if she had a flavor favorite such as the tender little Kokanee fish. She usually got what she wanted. In fact, she was known as the ‘unofficial mayor of Acme’!

     She enjoyed having guests, as long as they gave enough advance notice for her to be completely prepared, with table set and strawberries sliced for serving with ice cream. And her famous 8” high ‘Mazola cake’ for which she was famous; melt-in-your-mouth slices of chiffon that became her currency for barter, bribe or sale. She apparently made it known that ‘cracked eggs’ were always welcome. In fact, it was the noodle-making that resulted in cakes; she had left-over egg whites after separating her eggs for the noodles, thus creating a need to find some use for the whites. For years, Lena was the ‘go to’ bakery in Acme.  In addition to the cakes, her specialties included buns and bread.

     She had many friends in the community and was active in the Royal Purple Society and Rebecca’s Lodge, as well as the United Church. In later years she admitted to playing the guitar, a secret talent that remained hidden from the next generation, however, photos and beautifully hand-written songs with notes bear testimony to this fact.

     Family was important to Lena; she was sure to be in attendance at the numerous family gatherings, whether in Alberta or in B.C. She made regular visits to BC, to visit family. When she came, she did not come empty-handed. Her bags were always packed with noodles and cakes – her chocolate and spice were favourites. Additionally, if you were fortunate to be a niece, you could be certain of being singled out – not always welcomed. According to one niece, “she always kissed us on our lips … we hated it because she had wet kisses. So, we hid in our bedrooms, hoping that by the time we appeared, she would have forgotten that she hadn’t greeted us. She never did!”

     She staunchly defended her nieces if she felt their parents were being stuffy or old-fashioned. For years, they could count on receiving a silver coffee spoon at Christmas, and for a wedding gift, she gave them $5.  One niece commented, “She must have tired of the tradition because I recall getting my $5 while in my mid-teens”.

     On September 11, 1990, Helena Loewen passed away, at the age of 92.