CUMBERLAND — Helen D. Olson Race, 81, of Hawthorne Court died Feb. 20, 2001, at Mercy Hospital, Portland.
She was born in Leominster, Mass., a daughter of John A. and Gerda A. Johnson Olson, both of whom had immigrated to the United States in the 1880s from Sweden. A 1938 graduate of the Leominster High School, she received her nursing certificate from the Leominster Hospital School of Nursing in 1941.
She worked as a registered nurse at the Leominster Hospital until 1954. From 1956 to 1961 she was head nurse at Monson (Mass.) State Hospital. She was nursing supervisor at Gardiner (Maine) General Hospital from 1963 until 1971.
Mrs. Race attended the Congregational Church in Cumberland and was a member of the stitching circle at the Senior Housing Complex in Cumberland.
After losing the use of her right hand she trained herself to use her left hand to paint.
She married Elson B. Race on Oct. 12, 1941. He died in 1991.
Surviving are three daughters, Mrs. Donald M. (Cheryl) Buxbaum of Chebeague Island, Mrs. Jim (Linda) Kennedy-McLean of Winthrop and Mrs. Frederick (Donna) Cunningham of Waterville; a son, Elson Ronald Race of Cumberland; a sister, Florence Harris of Leominster; two brothers, J. Arthur Olson of Buzzards Bay, Mass., and Alvin Olson of Leominster; 13 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren.
Visiting hours will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Lindquist Funeral Home, 1 Mayberry Lane, Yarmouth, where funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. with the Rev. Diane E. Bennekamper officiating.