Thinking with Helen

About the Book

Thinking with Helen is a collection of essays, letters, anecdotes written by our mother, Helen Mary Beattie Hoekenga.  She was born in Howell, Michigan in 1917, lived on a farm, her father and sister died in 1927 when she was 9.  She went to Michigan State College, and was on the debate team, majored in English, speech and political science.  She graduated in 1939.  She met her husband Earl Nelson Hoekenga at Michigan State.  She had one marriage that lasted over 50 years, six children, 29 grand and step grandchildren and lived to be 81.  In between she wanted to and loved to write.  By the time all the work was done, the energy, discipline and drive to write had dissipated.  In her honor, because she didn’t have the time, her daughter, Gretchen, made the time to honor her and give her life meaning through the collection of her thoughts gathered in this volume.

The works here are organized chronologically starting with high school papers about Helen’s philosophy of life and some short pieces of creative writing from college.  A letter from a sweetheart named Jack.  She taught in rural Michigan after college and before marriage and children.  Her student’s comments, saved in an envelope all these years, mostly sing her praises;  “she has no pets, easy on the eyes, but she can hurt other peoples’ feelings.”

Next, the description of the wedding, the war and living in the Bronx and Brooklyn with new babies Dave and Ann.  A new post war home in the suburbs, sitting at the kitchen table with babies all around writing the letter to an auto company complaining about a lemon  (even built a garage for it) and it still wouldn’t run.  Under the pen name M.E. she wrote for the Alger Company newsletter funny and full of upbeat positive advice about children, fashion and just fun.  

Bookaholism was a chronic concern, she was an avid reader and wished they gave slow reading courses were given because her book consumption was so high.

Included are journals from two family trips to Europe.  The recollections of birth and early years of the three oldest kids, (they all sound suspiciously alike) the birth memories kind of meshed together into one memory.  Next comes the Round Robin and personal letters to the family and then some thoughts on death.  An ordinary woman who lead an ordinary life and how glad are we she did!

About the Author

Helen Mary Beattie Hoekenga was a wife, mother, sister, and daughter for 81 years. In between fulfilling those roles, she made time to do what she loved; to write. She wanted no recognition, her writing was always to advise, teach, instruct. She wrote for her husband’s company newsletter, she wrote to her children with advice about career, family and health. She wrote to the president of DeSoto about an automobile that was a “lemon”. This book is a collection of her writings; to better help her family understand her and give shape to her life. To honor her.