Helen Joye Maddux was born August 25, 1929 to Jess and Helen Huston. Helen was a third-generation farmer/rancher. She was born in Venango, Nebraska on the Huston Farm. On December 13, 1947, Helen married Thomas A. Maddux. Helen and Tom had four children, Sonny, Kate, Tammy and Karla.

Helen Joye was the youngest of five children. She worked with her dad and brothers on the farm. It was a time in our history when the war called for Americans to be conservative. The rationing of gas encouraged many local communities to develop local riding clubs. Helen remembers her dad parking the tractor, and returning to the use of horses to do field work. Helen said it was grandpa’s way to support war efforts and a son overseas.

Helen Joye would hitch up the horses, work in the hay field, and at the days end help her mother can, cook and dress chickens. Helen helped train all the horses her dad brought home to the farm. She developed a passion to not only train, but perform on the horses as well.

In the 40’s as a teenager, Helen moved into Imperial from the farm to attend high school. She worked at the local café serving breakfast and coffee to local merchants and farmers. She enjoyed serving the community and the many friendships she developed.

One very special friendship Helen acquired was with the Luhers family. At 15 years old, Helen lived and boarded with Rosy and Leona Luhers in Imperial. She credits them for giving her the opportunity to travel to Kansas with Leona and pick out three horses for each of them to ride. Helen was responsible for the care of the horses and the training. One of her fondest memories was traveling to Estes Park, Colorado to stay at the Luhers’ cabin. The trip was made with a stock truck; horses in the back. Helen’s stories about Estes Park were endless and heartwarming.

Helen also rode and performed on horses owned by Mr. Arthur Luhers. She had lovely memories of winning English and five gaited classes on horses he owned.

When Helen married Tom, her love of horses extended from equestrian riding to ranch riding and rodeo. Training horses on cattle became a passion, and Helen was very talented. Helen started all of the KingTwist colts on the Maddux Ranch. She made good horses great, and many of them went on to state and national titles. It was always said in the family that horses trained by Helen made the rest of the family look good in the arena.

In the 1960’s, Helen and Tom built a camp on the ranch to help kids from challenged backgrounds experience the responsibilities of ranch life and agriculture. They partnered with organizations like Boys Town, among others, to develop a successful program. Helen’s job was to cook, clean, run the many programs, and counsel. This was in addition to her responsibilities as a mom and helping run the ranch.

Helen continued training horses and performing throughout her life. Helen was committed to raising quality Quarter Horses. She trained, competed, and earned awards in English, five gaited classes, halter, western, and in rodeo. She trained horses that earned the AQHA Register of Merit. Helen ended her riding career as a top 10 finalist in barrel racing at the Old Timers National Finals.

Helen was always proud to promote KingTwist P-40317, a 1950 stallion purchased and owned by her and Tom. This would be the beginning of a program that would produce horses with mental soundness and correctness of conformation. Helen’s KingTwist horses proved themselves on the quarter horse race track, in the show ring, and in the rodeo arena. While at the Denver National Western Stock Show, KingTwist stood on Stallion Alley. Helen was interviewed by local news as an ambassador to educate how a stallion earned the honor of invitation. When riding, Helen felt at one with a horse. She would often share, “If you listen, you can learn more from a horse than you can teach them.”

In 2024 Helen was honored with the AQHA 50-Year Cumulative Breeders award. King P-234, Hard Twist, and Three Bars are the three bloodlines that Helen was always proud to have in her breeding program. Helen continued to ride until the age of 90 on her then 26-year-old KingTwist gelding.

Helen’s many accomplishments in the arena only complimented her work ethic and passion for her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and extended family. Anyone that knew Helen, can tell you that she was loyal, gracious, had great wisdom, and was always a lady.

Helen was also a business woman. She was skilled in numbers and was a talented bookkeeper. Helen owned and operated four businesses in her life.

In the 80’s, Helen evolved her talents and grew personally and professionally co-owning one of the first coffee houses in Lincoln. Helen partnered with local artists to show case their art, and local musicians to perform to enhance the environment.

In the 90’ s, Helen enjoyed working at the University of Nebraska Kearney in the English Department for Dr. Peek. She managed an optometrist office in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she became an optician. Helen worked in Lincoln, Nebraska for Dr. Powell in her later years, and always enjoyed helping and working with people.

The desire to mentor and give back to family and community, was always important to Helen. As a horse 4-H leader, swim instructor, art teacher, Lazy T Ranch Camp coordinator, Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, to name a few; Helen always encouraged individuals to be original in their thinking and to be their best.

Helen also had a passion for gardening. She always shared, that it is in the garden one finds a connection with nature and God. Her love for the garden was only mirrored by her love of art, quilting, sewing, books, and reading. Helen always had a gift of leaving a place more beautiful than she found it.

Helen shared with her family a love of good horses, nature, and God. She taught life lessons that are meant to inspire us to do good and accomplish great things. Helen understood that the meaning of life is to find your God given gift, and that the purpose of life is to give it away.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Jess & Helen Huston; brother, Gayle (Rose) Huston; sister, June Marie (Lloyd) Rambow; brother, Harry (Annabel) Huston; sister, Pearl Alice (Kap) Kapperman.

Helen is survived by her son, Thomas C. "Sonny" Maddux; daughters, Kate (Brad) Pierson, Tammy (Mike) Peterson and Karla (Cliff) Maddux-Leffingwell; and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Funeral Service, Saturday, August 15, 2026, 11:00 am at Calvary Church in Wahoo, NE.

Graveside services will be held at a later date at Riverside Cemetery in Wauneta, NE. Graveside inurnment arrangements entrusted to Liewer Funeral Home

Memorials to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, American Quarter Horse Foundation or Arbor Day Foundation.