Salle Lou Nutter joined the heavenly chorus Tuesday, December 9, 2008, departing peacefully from her Lambertville, Michigan home at the age of 75. Salle was born at Indian Run, West Virginia on November 2nd, 1933, to Jacob Ray and Locksie (Bailey) Helmick. In 1954, she married Harold Gail Nutter in Winchester, Virginia. He passed away on December 9th, 1959.Salle was a teacher, serving the students of Bedford Public Schools for 41 years, retiring in June 1995.  The last 36 years of her career were spent at Jackman Road Elementary, where she taught kindergarten and first and second grade. She never needed a “mission statement.”Salle graduated from Salem College, Salem, West Virginia, in 1955 with a Bachelor of Arts in Education, and completed her Master’s Degree in Education from Eastern Michigan University in 1970. She also earned 43 hours beyond her masters from a variety of institutions, including the College of William and Mary. She was a member of the Bedford Education Association, the M.E.A., the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and the Salem College Alumni, and rarely missed an opportunity to contribute to historic, cultural, or educational endeavors.She is survived by her son, Dr. John Jacob (Susan) Nutter of Temperance, MI; grandson, Ian C. Nutter  of Temperance, MI; brother, Thomas A. Helmick  of Lambertville, MI; sister, Patricia Veres of Vancouver, WA; and five nieces and nephews. Especially dear to her are foster son Bok-Jun Son  of Tenafly, NJ, and Dr. Monica Young of Sylvania, OH.

Salle was preceded in death by her husband and her parents; sister Frena Jo Begg  of Virginia Beach, VA; brother Charles B. Boner  of Grass Run, WV; and brother Orris Law Helmick  of Morgantown, WV.Salle was a warrior against cancer in her personal and public life. First diagnosed with malignant melanoma in 1970 and given six months to live, she retained her steadfast spirit for 38 years. As a breast cancer survivor, she volunteered for Reach for Recovery for eleven years, in that time supporting dozens of other survivors, serving as an exemplar of faith and perseverance to “her girls,” and making many cherished friends along the way.As an artist, she displayed a talent for drawing and painting. In recent years, she demonstrated her painting ability in the intricate and lively work she did on her brother Thomas’ Santa Claus carvings. In her travels, she especially loved the city of Florence. Salle loved history and exploring historic sites. In the course of her lifetime, she spent months in Colonial Williamsburg at all times of year, and was an ardent supporter of Williamsburg, Mount Vernon, and the archeological exploration of Jamestown. Her love for the past translated itself into an exuberance for teaching the love of history to her students. Throughout her life, she enjoyed travel with her beloved friend, Juliana Bair. Their travels encompassed Bar Harbor and New Brunswick, Virginia Beach and Okracoak, South Dakota’s Badlands, the Pacific shore of Oregon and Washington, Mt. Hood, the Canadian Rockies, and many more of America’s wonders. Perhaps the highlight of their wanderings was a trip to Europe.Salle’s family is deeply grateful to the wonderful care she received from Heartland Hospice, the Radiological Oncology Unit at Flower Hospital, the Hematology Oncology Associates, surgeon Candilee Butler, and the many other loving medical personnel that helped her live a full and rich life.

Visitation will be from 5-7 pm Friday at the Michael W. Pawlak Funeral Home, 1640 Smith Rd. (at Jackman) Temperance, MI, where a memorial service will follow at 7:00 pm.  Reverend Thomas Zimmerman, officiating.