A graveside service for Helen Dickens Grube, age 103, of Livingston, Texas, will be held Saturday, January 6, 2024 at Forest Hill Cemetery in Livingston, Texas at 10:00 AM with Rev. Joel McMahon officiating.

Helen Grube was born April 1, 1920 in Tyler County, Texas, the daughter of Thomas Watson Dickens and Ollie Rhodes Dickens, and passed away December 28, 2023 in The Woodlands, Texas.

Helen grew up in Dallas during the Great Depression, and met her future husband, Frederick William Grube Sr. while working at a bakery. Their first date was on Helen's eighteenth birthday and the two were married just twenty-three days later. The events of Pearl Harbor led to Helen becoming a career Navy wife. In trailblazing fashion, Helen and her husband kicked off the Baby Boom a little early with the arrival of their first child, Fred Jr. They would go on to have two daughters, Sandra and Ruth, and during the Navy years took up residence on many coasts, including ports in Norfolk, Virginia, Key West, Florida, and Long Beach, California. Shortly after her husband's retirement from the US Navy, Helen and family relocated to Livingston.

Helen worked throughout her life having a special keenness for bookkeeping and administration. For years she was the assistant hospital administrator in Livingston, and following that ran her son's dental practice for many more years before finally retiring at 82.

A big part of Helen's life revolved around cooking for her family. She also had a special fondness for sewing and knitting, and for several years belonged to a knitting group that knitted items for hospital patients.

Helen was big on education and believed one should never stop learning. She continued learning until her death.

She is preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Fred Grube, Sr.; son, Fred Grube, Jr.; grandson, Larry Bolton, Jr.; parents, Watson and Ollie Dickens; and siblings,, Ruby Schlottman, Oliver Dickens, Evon Dickens, Lloyd Dickens, Floyd Dickens, and Doyle Dickens.

She is survived by her daughter-in-law, Pam Grube of Estes Park, Colorado; daughters and sons-in-law, Sandra and Larry Bolton of Tyler, and Ruth and Tom Pinney of The Woodlands; granddaughters, Jennifer Beck of Estes Park, Colorado, Allison Evans and husband Andy of Livingston, Amy Brown and husband Mitch of Tyler, Susan Hill and husband Mike of Tyler; grandsons, Fred Grube III and wife Odie of Livingston, Travis Pinney and wife Dara of Alexandria, Virginia, and Ivan Pinney and wife Sarah of Houston; great-grandchildren Maghen Haynes, Rob Beck, Caleb Evans, Colby Evans, Kirbie Evans, Payton Grube, Bolton Grube, Garret Brown, Hudson Hill, Hannah Hill, Alina Pinney, Nolan Pinney, Addie Pinney, and Wyatt Pinney; great-great-grandchildren, Rylee, Ady, and Harper.