DRYE, Helena Ruth

Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff, AZ Friday, March 11, 2011 Helena Ruth Drye, 91, died Tuesday, March 8, 2011, in Flagstaff, after a brief illness. She was born Sept. 8, 1919, to Albert William and Helena (Schroeder) Bradford, at the Schroeder Ranch, Rimrock, which is now the Beaver Creek Golf Course. She had five brothers and one sister. At the age of 14, she left home and went to work at the Soda Springs Guest Ranch located near Montezuma Well. She started with cleaning rooms and worked her way up to the head cook. She became a very good cook, turning out three sumptuous meals a day for the ordinary and famous guests who came to the ranch. In 1942, she was married to Hugo Liljenberg and they had one daughter. They later divorced. In 1955, she was married to Walter B. (Barnette) Drye and moved to the Padre Canyon Ranch 23 miles east of Flagstaff, where she traded cooking for dudes to punching cattle. In the 40 years that she and Mr. Drye ranched together, they loved their life there and made many improvements on the ranch and with the cattle. Shortly after moving there, she went to work for Jean and Trox Troxell at the Twin Arrows Trading Post, which was located on Route 66. She worked there nearly 30 years, first in the curio shop and then as the cook in the diner. The fame of her good cooking spread up and down Route 66 as she served hamburgers, French fries and milkshakes to truckers, tourists, highway patrolmen and ADOT workers. She was a true ranch woman who could ride horses and punch cows with the best of them. She loved the cattle and was always involved with the roundups, calving, branding and doctoring. Many a calf owed her its life after she helped mostly first calf-heifers deliver. She especially loved having doggie calves and could raise eight to 10 calves all at the same time. She was a hardy, tough, hard working, self-reliant, independent woman who never met up with discouragement. Mrs. Drye is survived by her daughter, Virginia Riedel; two grandsons; three great-grandchildren; brother Charles Bradford; and many very special friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Barnette; one grandson; and five siblings. Services will be Saturday at 10 a.m., with viewing at 9 a.m., at the Norvel Owens Mortuary. Burial will be at the Middle Verde Cemetery. Condolences can be sent to the family at www.norvelowensmortuary.com. Norvel Owens Mortuary is handling the arrangements.