She was a diminutive woman with a pixieish quality about her, and a knowing twinkle in her eyes. Yet she was a strong, determined, resilient individual. She was possessed of a sharp wit that came through with her pointed observations about local characters and politicians, but she also had the capacity for self-depreciation. At heart she was a country girl, who reveled in the natural world.
[private]When I moved to Grafton in 1999, she was one of the first locals I sought out. I live in the cottage her grandfather built in 1902. We became friends right away. She and her immediate family, Connie, Linda and David have always been very kind and welcoming to me.
Helen Babcock Ellett died just two months after her 101st birthday. It was a long life, well-lived. If there is a heaven, then she and her beloved husband Chet are riding their favorite steeds along the rolling hills and woodlands of a celestial Grafton, stopping to rest and enjoy the familiar views from her fire tower in the Taconic hills.
In many ways, she reminded me of my maternal grandmother. Helen was my friend and I will miss her.
-Paul Bouchey
Grafton [/private]