Helen D. Kraut

KRAUT, Helen D. 1919 ~ 2016 Hans and Anna Balinski emigrated from Germany in 1911 and settled in Spokane, WA where Helen D. Balinski was born in 1919 at their home on Empire St. Helen’s childhood was spent on a farm and helping in her father’s grocery store during the Great Depression. Summers were more carefree with boating, fishing, hunting, at their Priest Lake summer cabin. After graduation from Chewelah high school, she worked as a Junior Clerk for the Air Force during WWII. Helen married Robert Johnson and welcomed her first daughter, Gloria in 1946. She married Kenneth Scalf in 1949 and added to her family, son Clyde and daughter Patricia. During this time Helen worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Metaline Falls City Hall and Dr. Hammerstrom’s Office. The late 1960’s brought her back to Spokane to work for the Spokane County Coroner’s office. In 1974, Helen married the love of her life, Ben Kraut. They built their home on Upriver Dr., retired from their work and new adventures began. Helen was active with bowling leagues, golfing (hitting a hole-in-one at Esmeralda Golf Course) and aerobics. She enjoyed gardening, canning, embroidery work and playing Pinochle. Helen and Ben were involved with the Valley Cross Trailers square dancing group and traveled throughout the Pacific Northwest in their fifth wheel. Helen participated in the annual Turkey Shoot at Loon Lake, and she would win a turkey each year. Ben and Helen enjoyed spending time at their cabin on Deer Lake where they would go boating and snowmobiling. Their spirit of adventure took them all over the United States and beyond. They traveled by land, air and sea to exciting destinations such as Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, Central America and the Caribbean. Helen witnessed many changes in this world during her lifetime. She surrounded herself with loving family and friends and nurtured those relationships along the way. Helen became a guardian angel on February 12th and now Ben has his bride by his side once again. Her family is honored to celebrate her life in which she modeled strength, determination, courage, pride and a good sense of humor. Helen’s immediate family include: Patricia Hawkins, Clyde Scalf, Gloria Harris (deceased), Danny Kraut, Bob Kraut, John Kraut, David Kraut, Mike Kraut (deceased), 16 grand children and 27 great-grandchildren. She will be missed by all. A farewell viewing will be possible on Friday, February 19th, 2016 between the hours of 9 AM and 8 PM at Riplinger Funeral Home, 4305 N Division, Spokane, WA. Her funeral service will be held the following morning, Saturday, February 20th, 2016 at 10:00 AM at the funeral home. Private interment will be at Holy Cross Cemetery. “In this life we cannot always do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” -Mother Theresa