Obituary for Helen (Palmer) Chenoweth-Hage

Jan. 27, 1938 – Oct. 2, 2006


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 5, 2006

(BOISE, ID) She was only 4 ½ pounds when she was born on January 27, 1938 so her parents, Dwight and Ardelle Palmer were praying that God would let them keep their first born – a daughter, who they named Helen after a family friend. God did let them keep this precious girl. And yet, how could they know that their little girl would grow to be a stately 5’9” woman who would one day walk the halls of Congress and the world including Eastern Europe, Israel, Mexico, Africa and Australia. Helen (Palmer) Chenoweth-Hage lived an amazing life on this earth until her unexpected death on October 2, 2006 – the result of an automobile accident near Tonopah, Nevada.

Helen was born in Topeka, KS but spent most of her growing up years on her father’s dairy farm in Grants Pass, OR. She overcame a bout of polio at age 9 with shear grit. She picked hops in the summer as a teenager and rode her feisty horse for fun. She played cymbals in the high school band and was awarded a music scholarship to Germany to play classical bass violin. Her children are grateful that she chose instead to attend Whitworth College in Spokane, WA where she met their father, Nick Chenoweth.

Helen lived with her husband and two children, Mike and Meg, in Orofino, Idaho where she designed and managed the Northside Medical Clinic. There she developed one of the nation’s first physician recruitment practices where she recruited doctors for under-serviced rural communities.

She and Nick were quietly divorced in 1975. She then moved to Boise to become the Executive Director of the Idaho Republican Party. She revived the Party’s dismal financial condition by bringing to Idaho several notable speakers including William F. Buckley, Jr. and Ronald Reagan. She articulated a set of beliefs that reflected the principles of the Republican Party and spoke throughout the state to provide assistance to Republican legislative candidates including Larry Craig who represented his district in the State Legislature. She served as (then) Congressman Steve Symm’s District Director in 1977 through his election in 1978 after which she started her own business, Consulting Associates where she worked as a lobbyist in the legislature.

In 1993 she was asked by prominent Idahoans to consider running for Congress, and with the encouragement of her pastor, made her first bid for election. With her victory in 1994, Helen became the second woman to represent Idaho in that capacity and one of very few Congressmen to be elected by her peers to a Chairmanship (House Sub-Committee on Forest and Forest Health) after only one term. While in Congress she articulated and defended a freedom philosophy that was born out of a true appreciation of this country particularly its foundation. She retired based on her term limits pledge, keeping her word always.

On October 2, 1999 she married Wayne Hage and when her term was complete at the end of 2000 she moved to her husband’s Nevada ranch. They traveled the country speaking and teaching on private property rights.

Helen loved God; she loved her family; she loved our God-given rights and the heart of those willing to serve a country that would defend those rights; she loved good law; she loved justice; she loved Idaho, the western way of life and the idea that is “America;” she loved life.

Helen is survived by her two children, Michael (Diane) Chenoweth and Meg Keenan; Wayne Hage’s children, Ramona (Jeff) Morrison, Ruthie (Jace) Agee, Margaret (Dan) Byfield, Laura (David) Perkins, and Wayne (Yelena) Hage. She is also survived by their grandchildren, Dominick Keenan, Brandy Chenoweth, Matthew Keenan, Katy Keenan, Kristy Chenoweth, Timothy Keenan, Tyler Agee, Jacob Agee, John Morrison, Kristin Morrison, David Perkins, Katelyn Agee, Harrison Perkins, Charlton Perkins, McKenzy Byfield and Bryan Hage.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Monday, October 9, 2006 at Capital Christian Center in Meridian, Idaho. A private graveside service will be held in Nevada later in the week.
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Contact: Dominick Keenan 208.837.0071