Helen Clayton

Helen Rae Christensen Nichol Clayton passed away peacefully on August 7, 2021 in Salt Lake City, Utah at 101 years young. Born on June 5, 1920 to Walter Woodruff and Evelyn Scott Christensen in Holladay, Utah. She was the middle child between her brother Scott and her younger sister, Colleen. Despite a twenty-year age difference Helen and Colleen were the closest of friends in their later years, talking at least once, and usually twice a day.
She attended Holladay Elementary, as did her mother and her children. She also attended the Irving School (later known as Olympus Junior High) where she was a girl leader, and as part of her home economics class was required to sew her own 9th grade graduation dress. At Granite High School she was sophomore class president and later graduated in 1938. With so many fond memories of this time, even at 100 years old Helen could tell you vivid stories with detailed descriptions and names of friends and neighbors.
On October 3, 1938 Helen married Vern Nichol, her next-door neighbor (later divorced), and they had six beautiful children. She helped support her family by working as a waitress, seamstress, and ironer extraordinaire. An excellent cook and hostess, Helen was always up for feeding the masses. Known for her Sunday and holiday dinners, she was renowned for her pickles, relish, and candied yams at Thanksgiving. Another specialty was making lima bean and ham hock soup, which none of the daughters-in-law would make, so she would always make extra for the boys to take home.
As a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, her most memorable calling was her time as Primary President. In her later years, she looked forward to the visits from her ministering elder, Mitch Rice and his darling family, as well as the young men who brought in the sacrament and the young women who sang hymns just for her.
Helen married the love of her life, Kelly Clayton, on June 15, 1978 and then they promptly went golfing for their honeymoon. Besides the love for golf, Helen was a master at crochet and painted holiday ceramics, creating a veritable wonderland for Easter, Halloween, and Christmas. Both Kelly and Helen were dedicated league bowlers and members of the Good Sam RV community, and traveled the country extensively in their travel trailer. Helen was an avid gardener and family and neighbors all enjoyed her yard, which was always filled with beautiful flowers (real in the summer and artificial in the winter). Helen and Kelly loved sharing their hobbies with their grandchildren and the grandchildren loved it too.
Helen’s greatest joy was spending time with her 20 grandchildren, 57 great-grandchildren (plus twins on the way), and one great-great-grandchild. This brood was her life. Even with such a large family, she managed to spend time individually with all the grandchildren. Spending time at Grandpa and Grandma’s was always a treat. She even found the time to make or sew all the grandkids personalized presents for Christmas. Somehow Helen and Kelly managed to attend what seems like an infinite number of concerts, recitals, games, plays, baptisms, birthdays, and any other event where you would find one of her grandchildren. Everyone in the family, natural or acquired, was loved and treated like her favorite. Just ask anyone in the family who her favorite was and you’ll get the same answer every time, “ME!” Helen loved and was loved by an enormous extended family, she was a cherished aunt to both Scott and Colleen’s children and their growing families.
A redhead with a fiery spirit to match, Helen kept her wicked sense of humor and quick wit all her 101 years. Her spunk and sass were known and appreciated by all that knew her. In her later years, long after most of us would have stopped working, Helen went back to work as a “sample lady” at Costco. She was beloved by her colleagues and customers alike.
Grandma-Great, GG, Grandma, Aunt Helen, Nana, Mom…we will miss you dearly.
Preceded in death by: her husband Kelly, her parents, brother Walter Scott Christensen, sister Colleen Ashton, daughter Carol Lynn, nephews Mike Ashton and Kent Ashton, grandchildren Gerald Nichol Jr and Russell Riley, great grandson Emmitt Hiatt and numerous aunts, uncles, and dear friends.
Helen will be missed dearly by her children: Gerald Clive Nichol (Jeannette), James Ray Nichol (Joan), Cathleen Riley (Dave), Lynda Rasmussen (Danny), Richard Scott Nichol (Annette); 20 grandchildren; 57 (+2) great grandchildren; one great-great grandchild; and the Ashton and Thorkildsen clans. A big thank you to all the caregivers at Cascade at Riverwalk Care Center that cared for her for all of us during COVID and her beloved aide, nurses, and social worker from Summit Home Health & Hospice – Brynn, Becky, Kim, and Annette. And especially, much love to Lopa Taukei’aho, who cared for Helen for years with love and compassion. She loved you all so much!
Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, August 14th at Memorial Mountain View Mortuary, 3115 E , 7800 S, Cottonwood Heights, UT. Viewing beginning at 12:00 pm; services to being at 1:30 pm.
Viewing on Friday, August 13th at 6:00 – 8:00 pm at Memorial Mountain View Mortuary.
Interment will be at Memorial Mountain View Mortuary immediately following funeral. Services will also be Live-Steamed via Zoom
Streaming Instructions
1. Joining by computer
a. Go to zoom.us in any internet browser
b. Click “join meeting”
c. Enter the meeting id – 8019430831
d. A box will open saying “https://zoom.us wants to open this application”. Click “open zoom”
e. Click “Join with Computer Audio”
f. Click “Mute” in the bottom left hand corner so that your audio does not interrupt the funeral services
2. Joining by phone or iPad
a. Download the Zoom app
b. Open the app and select “join a meeting”
c. Enter the meeting id – 8019430831
d. Select “join without video”
e. Select “Call using internet audio”
f. Select “mute” in the bottom left hand corner so that your audio does not interrupt the funeral services.
Service Information
Viewing August 13, 2021 at 6-8 pm
3115 E 7800 S, Cottonwood Heights, Utah, 84121





Viewing August 14, 2021 at 12:00 pm
3115 E 7800 S, Cottonwood Heights, Utah, 84121





Funeral Service
August 14, 2021 at 1:30 pm
3115 E 7800 S, Cottonwood Heights, Utah, 84121