submitted by Randy Kneer
Helen Ellett celebrated her 98th birthday last Thursday, February 16. In a pre-birthday celebration some friends took her to lunch at the Brunswick Barbecue and Brew on Route 2 in Brunswick last Saturday.
Helen was the fire observer for 16 years at Dickinson Hill Fire Tower in Grafton. Helen was the woman I wrote the book, The Untold Story of Helen Ellett, about. The book is available at local book stores, Barnes and Nobles, the Grafton General Store and other locations. It is a wonderful story about Helen’s life and the time she was the fire observer at the Dickinson Hill Fire Tower.
The Fire Tower is currently being restored, and there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony with Helen cutting the ribbon to open the Fire Tower up to the public, hopefully sometime in June. This should be a very special day.
Helen was the third women fire observer in New York State. When she began her job as fire observer she rode her horse eight miles each way every day to go to work at the fire tower.
It was an honor to celebrate Helen’s 98th birthday.