Helen Marie Janning Guthrie worked the family farm in Western Oklahoma to provide wheat for the troops in World War II.
Born in 1930 and living through the Dust Bowl and helping her father FR Janning work the farm, she became a much more important contributor when her three brothers went to War. When her brother Tex was called to War just before Christmas, she asked her mother, “What are we going to do?’ Her mother responded,” We are going to have Christmas.”
For Christmas, her father asked if she would attend Midnight Mass with him. She agreed and went to get in the car. He said, “We are walking. The gas is for the War Effort.” And they walked the several miles to the Church.
She always remained a patriot, and went on to marry a veteran Lawrence Guthrie and have eight children. Later she joined Noble Drilling in Tulsa. She then was appointed to President Reagan’s White House Staff in the Communications Department. The first thing she did was go over to the Old Executive Office Building which had been the War Department, to see where her brothers were called to War.
She flew the Flag every day.