Helen Belle Duvall was born May 20th, 1940 in a cabin in Turner Coulee, which is in the Missouri River breaks, on the north side of the river. Having seven sisters and a brother made life interesting to say the least. The family ranch was on the Power Plant Ferry Road about 10 miles south of Landusky, so people stopped in quite often.
In the winter they would usually stay in Landusky so the kids could attend school there. Money was scarce, so during their high school years, some of the kids would often stay with families elsewhere to complete their education. Helen went to school in Dodson, Winifred, and graduated in Wolf Point.
She then went to beauty school in Great Falls so she could be a hairdresser. One weekend while she was out hunting near Great Falls with her cousin Gene, she found the body of a guy who had been murdered.
Then Helen met Larry Arthur and they got married in 1959. They had three of the most wonderful children, Lonnie, Lisa, and Lori. Their kids and grandkids were even more wonderful, perfect in every way. Larry worked on highway construction, so they went wherever the work was, all across Montana and Wyoming until the kids needed schooling. Then they lived in Winifred ‘66 to ‘68, Hilger ‘68 to ‘70, and then Belgrade ‘70 to ‘79.
Helen and Larry divorced in ‘79, but she had been going to a school in Salt Lake City, learning how to do Electrolysis for permanent hair removal and permanent eye liner. She decided to move to Great Falls and start her own business (The Electrolysis Clinic) in the downtown area. She didn't mind living in Great Falls during the week, but weekends found her driving to the breaks to fish, hunt, or just camp and hike. She often went hiking in the mountains around Zortman with her friend Bert Azure. She then decided to tape her dad’s stories and put them down on paper, which ended up being a book she was very proud of, Memories of a Filly Chaser.
Helen closed her clinic in 1995 and decided to clean offices for her living. She enjoyed this as it was quite a change from the sedentary office life that had been her daily life to that point.
Then she met Paul Berger, who lived north of Sand Springs, near Jordan. She had reached out to him after she had read about him in the news. He responded and she wanted to tell his story in a book. Little did she know that he would capture her heart. They were married in the breaks at a favorite place called Hideaway. She promptly moved to his ranch in Jordan and loved it out there in that country. They had a brief marriage which ended when Paul passed away in 2003. She mourned him up until her death. After his passing she moved off the ranch near Jordan to the house they owned in Lewistown. She loved feeding the deer that came into her yard every afternoon. She would buy apples just for them. She loved Lewistown and the people of that town and wanted to remain there until she passed. She had a mild stroke in 2013 which affected her short-term memory.
She often passed her time reminiscing through old photographs, especially in her latter years when she had more time at home. She had so many pictures of family and friends that brought back fond memories and opportunities to share stories, which she loved to do.
As her health challenges progressed, she needed some help with daily living. She was fortunate to have a home health care gal who she looked forward to visiting with, (provided she showed up after 10 am). Helen was never an early riser and she was never shy about letting you know if you interfered with her sleep. Candyce came into her home several days a week to help Helen with whatever she needed. It was Helen’s intention to remain at home and she was able to do that with the help of her children and Candyce. Helen loved her Lord Jesus and was always saying that she was looking forward to meeting Him in Heaven. Helen passed away February 18, 2026. We are sure she is now celebrating with her Lord and all the loved ones who have gone on before her.
Surviving her are her children, Lonnie (Amy) Arthur of Winifred, Lisa Sanders of Belgrade, and Lori (Del) Henke of Great Falls; six grandchildren and their spouses, Candy Ereaux, Amber (Nicholas) Scribner, Robin (Michael) Jackson, Heather Richardson, Hannah (Trevor) Brook and Cory Counts; eight great-grandchildren, Austin, Tjaden, Anna, Porter, Sawyer, Harper, Audrey and Hailey; and siblings, Betty Campbell, Sam Duvall, Edna Smith, Beulah (Roger) Oelke, Wanda Doney and Della McConnell.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Walter “Dube” Duvall and Sydne Duvall; husband, Paul Berger; sisters, Peggy Sorenson and Lorna Moreno; daughter-in-law, Jamie Arthur; and grandchildren, Katey Arthur and Shane Counts.
Services for Helen will be at Creel Funeral Home in Lewistown, MT, Saturday, February 28, 2026. Viewing will be from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. with the service beginning at 1:00 p.m. Interment will be at Mount Calvary Cemetery followed by a luncheon at Brooks Market in Lewistown.
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