Slawson, Helen Harriet Clements

Helen Harriet Clements Slawson Dec. 5, 1916 - May 7, 2010 
Beloved mother and friend, peacefully passed away Friday 
evening May 7th in her residence in San Francisco. Born in 
Hutchinson, Kansas to Jack & Laura Lee Clements,, she was 
the oldest of three children, all of whom she out-lived. Her 
father became an executive with the Morton Salt Company 
and in 1921 she posed as the Morton Salt Girl, becoming 
the 2nd of now 6 Morton Salt girls in history. She attended 
New Trier High School in Chicago, graduated with honors 
from Denison University in Ohio, and received her master's 
degree in Chinese Art History from Colorado College in 
1939. In 1941 she married Robert Giles Achorn, with whom 
she had four children. Divorced in 1961, she moved to 
Menlo Park where she subsequently married James Slawson 
of Sacramento in 1968. They lived in Los Altos, Aptos and 
San Rafael. After his passing she moved to Rhoda Goldman 
Plaza in San Francisco. She is survived by her four children: 
James Achorn of Salem OR, John Achorn of Venice CA, 
Nancy Achorn of San Francisco and Robin Berkman of Oak 
Harbor WA; she also has a stepdaughter, Terrell Slawson of 
Portola Valley CA and her daughter Judy Lesight of Carlsbad 
CA; she leaves behind two granddaughters: Rosie Achorn-
Rubenstein of Los Angeles CA and Kelly Achorn Smith and 
her two great-grand-daughters, Emily and Natalie Smith of 
Salem OR. We will fondly remember her for her great 
gourmet cooking, passed on to her by her mother Laura 
Lee, and her love for traveling, cruises, bridge, reading, 
discussion, crosswords and acrostics. She was loving, wise 
and shared a great sense of humor with us all. We will miss 
her deeply. She taught us respect and tolerance for others 
no matter what their walk in life might be. Her smile is with 
us always. A private memorial will be held for her on 
Memorial Day. 

Published in San Francisco Chronicle from May 14 to May 
16, 2010