by David Flint
Helen Kenyon Johnson of West Stephentown was born on July 8, 1911, one hundred years ago. That was the year of:
Completion of the first transcontinental airplane flight from New York to Pasadena (It took 84 days.);
Ground breaking in Boston for Fenway Park;
The Follies Bergere Theater opening in New York City;
Chevrolet entering the automobile market in competition with the Model T Ford;
The South Pole first reached by Norwegian Roald Amundsen;
The Philadelphia A’s beating the NY Giants 4 games to 2 in the 8th World Series.
Helen attended a one room school house in Schodack, a half hour from her home by foot in good weather. In the winter time with snow on the ground she and the other kids might be lucky enough to get a ride by horse and sleigh. She later graduated from Rensselaer High School and later still from Albany Business College in 1930. She married Joe Kenyon in 1933, and they eventually had two sons, Calvin and John. Helen worked for many years as a secretary at RPI, retiring at age 65. Joe passed away in 1966 and Helen was married again in 1974 to James Frank Johnson, gaining a stepdaughter, Peggy. After retiring from RPI, Helen earned her real estate license and worked in Johnson’s real estate and insurance office. Johnson died in 1987. Helen now has nine grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.
Helen is a long time member of the West Stephentown Baptist Church, the Stephentown Seniors and the Historical Society. In earlier days she was also an active member in the Stephentown Grange.
Friends and family were all invited to celebrate Helen’s 100 years at a party at her home on Route 43 in West Stephentown on Saturday, July 9. Congressman Chris Gibson sent his regards, was unable to attend but sent a Certificate of Congressional Recognition and an American flag that earlier in the week had been flown over the Capitol building in Washington, DC. These were presented to Helen by her granddaughter Tami and Tami’s husband George Whalen. “They know all about you in Washington,” Whalen said.
Joe Kenyon has a lot of respect for his grandma and lots of fond memories. She was the one, he recalls, who always drove all of her friends all around because they didn’t drive anymore even though she was ten to twenty years older than they were. He thinks it’s great that grandma still lives in the house that she and her husband built more than 76 years ago. The things she likes best, Joe said, are visits from family, church family and friends, sending and receiving cards and notes and a nice hot cup of tea with toast and jelly and sweets. She also enjoys reading her Bible and her journals every day. Grandma, he said, has a great memory for dates and all those special events that have happened throughout her 100 years.
