Helen Luella Gerlick

Helen was born in Cripple Creek, Colorado to Kenneth Marvin Payton and Dorothy Bell Parrill. She was an older sister to Shirley Payton-Duckworth. She loved growing up in the small mining town in Southern Colorado where her father was a gold miner at the Molly Kathleen mine until he was in a cave-in and buried up to his waist. He survived that incident, but it left him crippled and unable to continue mining. Around that same time when Helen was 12 years old and her sister was 10, their mother died of cancer and they moved to Denver where her grandmother, Mattie Parrill, helped raise the girls. In 6th grade she competed in the Barnum Spelling Bee. They had many cousins in the Denver area and her cousin Harold Parrill introduced the girls to his best friends and became their future husbands. 

At the age of 17, while attending West High School in Denver, Helen married Thomas Allen Gerlick, who was 18 at the time and just graduated from Englewood High School. They had a small home wedding on September 13, 1950. Nine months later their first son, Harold “Al” Gerlick was born. In those days, if you were expecting a child, you could no longer attend school, so she had to drop out just before graduation. A few years later in 1952, Marvin was born followed by John in 1956. 

Raising three boys and attending all the sports and school events did not leave much time for an outside job, but she did work part time at department stores, a bakery, Barron’s Business Services, and Englewood Schools in the kitchen. Later in life she worked as the office manager in her husband’s business, Gerlick Motors, a small used car lot on South Broadway in Englewood where they both retired in 1994. 

Helen was very close to her sister, Shirley, and the families spent most weekends doing activities together. Tragically, Shirley and her five-year-old son, Dale were murdered at their home by a 17-yearold neighbor boy. Helen was devastated by this event, but she did manage to help raise two nieces, Dorothy and Judy Duckworth, along with their father Herman that joined the Gerlick Family home for about a year until they were able to find a place of their own. Helen’s father, Ken also lived in the household until his death. 

Helen and Tom loved to travel and made many trips to one of their favorite spots, Glenwood Springs, Colorado. They also traveled to 42 states, Mexico and Canada. They took a Caribbean cruise for their 50th anniversary and an Alaska cruise for their 60th anniversary. They also purchased land in South Park, Colorado in 1972 and had a “cabin” there as a weekend getaway. They called it Gerlick Mountain and it is still in the family to this day. 

Faith was important to Helen and in the early years of her marriage they attended Englewood United Methodist Church. Later they were members of Grace Lutheran Church in Englewood until it closed and then they transferred to Centennial Lutheran Church. After moving to Assisted Living, she was not able to attend church in person but was able to watch the services on YouTube and often would watch South Fellowship Church services where John is a member. She was able to attend South Fellowship on special occasions. 

Family was incredibly important, and birthdays and holidays were always celebrated to a high degree. Road trips with her three sons were always an adventure. Grandchildren were a special delight, and they had a big role in raising John’s sons who live across the street especially when her daughter-in-law was going through Leukemia treatments. 

Tom and Helen lived in Englewood since 1956. First on South Lipan Street and then in 1966 they moved around the corner to the house on Princeton Place where they lived until shortly after Tom passed away on September 11, 2021. Al lived with them there and with his Parkinson’s Disease and Helen’s failing health, they had to sell the home and Helen moved into Assisted Living centers until her death. 

Helen is survived by her three sons, Al Gerlick of Rapid City, SD, Marvin (Nona) Gerlick of Durango, CO and John (Angela) Gerlick of Englewood, CO; four grandchildren, Nate (Emily) Gerlick of Rapid City, SD, Cara Gerlick of Havre, MT, Thomas and Joseph (Sarah) Gerlick of Englewood, CO, three great grandchildren, Kylan and Keagan Gerlick of Rapid City, SD and Gracie Gerlick of Havre, MT, and five nieces, Judy (Stan) Knudsen of Harlan, IA, Kristina Cuvelier of Bailey, CO, Shireen Cookston of Como, CO, Jean Allen of Burleson, TX and Jane Chamberlin of Commerce City, CO. 

Memorial Gifts may be made to: ACT Englewood 1166 W Princeton Pl Englewood CO 80110