Helen Irene McGiffin

Helen Irene (Andrews) McGiffin, age 89, passed away peacefully at home with her family in Grand Forks on the morning of April 10th, 2016. Helen was born on April 4th, 1927 in Winnipeg, MB to Edna and Angus Andrews. She attended Wellington and General Wolfe schools in Winnipeg. She began working as a live-in housekeeper at the age of 14 until she was old enough to get a job outside the home. She met Reginald McGiffin in 1944 and was married in 1945. They lived in Winnipeg until 1961 when they moved to Rapid City, SD. In 1964 they moved to Grand Forks, ND. Helen and her husband opened McGiffin’s hobbies and crafts in 1967. She worked at the store until she retired and the store closed in 2004. She really enjoyed working in the store and has many great memories of working with a lot of area families over the years. In recent years, she had knit many baby hats for Altru’s Family Birthing Center. In 2014, Helen went home from the hospital on Hospice with a life expectancy of two weeks to two months. Two years later, after many dedicated nurses and volunteers she was able to stay in her home and be with family until her passing. Helen was preceded in death by her parents, her husband who passed away in 2007, an infant son, Ronald Craig McGiffin, 3 brothers-Hugh (Blanche) Andrews, Vern (Joyce) Andrews, and Victor Andrews; one sister, Evelyn (George) Dodge; and her son-in-law, Harrison Keel. She is survived by her three children-Rick (Cathy) McGiffin, Patrick (Evelyn) McGiffin, Cathy Keel; her three grandchildren-Tracy Spivey, Ronald McGiffin and Tiffany (Jonathan) Straub; five great-grandchildren-Dylan Goldstraw, Hailey Jones, Haven McGiffin, Haley McGiffin, and Hope Spivey; and many nieces and nephews. Funeral Service: 11:00 a.m. Thursday, April 14, 2016, at Amundson Funeral Home 2975 S. 42nd St. in Grand Forks. Visitation: One hour prior to the service at Amundsons. Interment: Memorial Park North Cemetery, Grand Forks, ND.