Helara Northern

Helara age 94 passed Tuesday, July 2, 2025 in her home in Salem, Oregon. She was born April 15,1931 to Ione (Knudson) and Harvey Bills in Werner, South Dakota. She was the second child of 6 in the Bills family. Helara found out through DNA testingthat Harvey Brigner was her biological father. So that made her the half sister to 14 brothers and sisters. The Bills and Brigner families moved to Washington when she was about 3 years old. She grew up in and around Battle Ground, WA. She married Carl C. Northern in 1950 at Battle Ground, WA. They were married 73 years before Carl passed. Helara was a seamstress all her life. She made beautiful clothes for all three of her children and sewed professionally for many many years. Helara had 3 children, Kenneth C. Northern, and two daughters Roberta D. Great and husband John of Keizer, OR., and Connie L. Summey and husband Rod, of Eugene, OR. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Carl, son Kenneth, and all 9 of her Brigner siblings and 4 of her Bills siblings. She is survived by her two daughters and her sister, Delores(Bills) Smock of Clatskanie, OR, also by three grandchildren, three step grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren. She was greatly loved by her family and friends, and will be deeply missed. Her ashes will be scattered in the same place as Carl’s in a private family gathering.