To The Editor:
Losing Helen Ellett was a heartbreaking event in the lives of Helen’s family. Reading the article submitted by the Grafton Trail Riders was also heartbreaking. In recent years they pursued a lawsuit against Helen and her family. I believe their sorrow should have at least extended to the family with a simple sympathy card or maybe a phone call to her daughter Connie, but instead they made no effort to extend any “deep sorrow” as they wrote. On their own website they make absolutely no mention of Helen and how she had a great vision to start a riding club that she has now left to them.
Personally, I don’t believe that “Helen will be riding with them in spirit” as they wrote. She was discouraged, confused and heartbroken that a club she founded in 1947 was now sending her legal documents to appear in court over a land dispute. It was us, the family that held her hand as she read through the thick stack of legal documents, attempting to understand the reality of how The Grafton Trail Riders, what was once her passion, turned into her nightmare.
The majority of members never even had an opportunity to meet Helen as she wasn’t one of the land owners that they invited to their annual fall pig roast. She was ignored by the club’s members until this article of last week. Helen never believed in riding, camping, and campfires as they wrote – she believed in riding!
She will be missed, she will be missed by many acquaintances and by the many close friends she made and most of all by her family.
Linda Laveway
Granddaughter of Helen Ellett