Mary Helen Fergus Chandler

On December 17, 1929 Mary Helen Fergus came into this life as the daughter of two worlds. She was the second daughter of George Louis Fergus, a Greek immigrant, and Beatrice Naomi Farnsworth, a second-generation English Mormon pioneer.
Helen’s early childhood belonged to Greece. As eons of shepherdesses before her, she spent summers barefoot among the wildflowers and streams of the mountain canyons tending sheep at pastor. She loved her idyllic memories of those early years.
As she started fifth grade, the sheep were sold, the Crescent/Draper farm was bought and her pioneer farming heritage came to be. The rest of her childhood/adolescence was spent at the farm, various elementary schools and graduation from Jordan High School. She did go on to be the only one of her siblings to attend and graduate from college.
Helen was a survivor. Her family was not only split linguistically and culturally, but religiously as well. Two of her siblings were baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church while Helen and her youngest brother were blessed and baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Regardless of denomination and lack of participation by her parents, Helen loved and served God. Attending Church by herself, particularly in her adolescent years, set a pattern of faith and service that was the foundation of testimony, not only for her, but her six children as well.
In 1952 at a University of Utah LDS Institute dance, Helen Fergus met Homer Chandler and together found the love and partnership of their lives. Married in the Salt Lake City Temple on August 27, 1952, they produced six rowdy kids.  Bruce (Kathleen), Wayne (Marlene), Susan (James), Douglas (Debbie), Ronald (Elizabeth), Marlene (Lamar), and 27 grandchildren, and 27 great grandchildren and counting!
Together Helen and Homer traveled the world, including leadership training and public affairs missions in Ivory Coast Africa and England. They have lived in Utah, California, Oregon, and Nevada, raising their children, building their communities and strengthening the church.
Wherever she has lived, Helen has blessed her family and community through her art. Each of her children’s homes is graced by an original oil masterpiece. Her artistic float creations have graced community and church parades throughout the West. Her murals and depictions of the Savior have furthered missionary work throughout the world.
And so it goes. Mary Helen Fergus Chandler. This second-generation Greek immigrant/third generation Mormon pioneer continues to change the world. Through her message and example of faith and perseverance, multiple generations continue to carry the legacy of the American Dream and faith and service in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. May our lives be true to that noble legacy.