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Audus was born on October 5, 1922, in Bethel, Oklahoma, to Leonard Huston Helton and Berniece Gladys Wright Helton. Two years later, his brother Cecil Houston Helton joined the family.
They lived in the southeast Oklahoma hill country, where Leonard farmed and trapped for a living and were part of a large extended family. Unfortunately, Leonard passed in 1930, due to a burst appendix, leaving Berneice as a single parent to two small boys.
They eventually left Oklahoma to live with relatives in Arizona for a while and then moved on to the Merced/Modesto area of California when Berniece remarried, to a man who offered a less than stable family life.
Red graduated from LeGrand Union High School in LeGrand, California, in May 1940. He went to work in various places, staying in the Arizona area, and was later employed by the U.S. Civil Service from 1941 until 1943, when he was inducted into the U.S. Navy.
He served as an Aviation Radioman Seconnd Class, and received an honorable discharge in December, 1945.
With the assistance of the G.I. Bill, Red was able to enroll in Ohio Wesleyan University in July of 1944, while still attached to the U.S. Navy. He took courses from the University of Akron at the same time, and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in June of 1947. A Masters of Science degree, also from Ohio Wesleyan, in botany followed in June of 1949. From there, Red came west to Oregon State College (now Oregon State University) at Corvallis, Oregon. In May of 1951 he was granted his Doctorate Degree (Ph.D.) from the Plant Pathology Department, with his thesis on the Chemotherapy of Stone Fruit Virus.
During this same time, he married Adeline Rebecca Waller of Akron, Ohio, on October 26, 1945. They moved to Moscow, Idaho, when Red began his career at the University of Idaho in July 1951 as a plant pathologist with his specialty being diseases of stone fruits.
Consequently, he traveled extensively throughout the state, assisting orchard growers with their various fruit tree problems. And the Helton family was expanding with the addition of five children born between 1952 through 1963. In 1986, Red retired from the University of Idaho after 35 years of service.
Red always carried a camera around his neck, not only to document whatever may be happening in the fruit orchards, but also taking photographs of family, friends and the great outdoors. When he moved to Idaho, he fell in love with this great state, and spent as much time as possible out in the mountains, be it camping, fishing, hunting, or horsing in the backcountry – and all the time that camera was working overtime!
He instilled in his children a great love for the outdoors, and especially for all that is Idaho. These slides became the basis of his eldest daughter’s program called “My Father’s Idaho,” which is an on-going project and may be viewed on her website www.MyFathersIdaho.org.
Unfortunately, his marriage ended in divorce, but then he met, fell in love and married his current wife, Christina Rasa Griska, on July 29, 1978. They have both enjoyed the outdoors, especially their time spent in the Clearwater and Lochsa country, but especially in Red’s beloved Selway Bitterroot wilderness.
Many happy years were spent exploring these wonderful wild places, mostly on horseback, be it just a summer camping trip or a serious hunting expedition. All of the children were included in these trips and have many happy memories of their times out in the hills with their father. And that camera kept on clicking away!
In 1995, Red and Chris moved from Moscow to their current home outside of Bonners Ferry, where they concentrated on gardening, establishing yet another small fruit tree orchard, and exploring Boundary county and all it had to offer to two people who loved being in the woods more than anything else.
Around 2001, Red gave his early slides to his eldest daughter, Becky, and she created “My Father’s Idaho,” and has put on programs throughout the state.
Unfortunately, age does catch up with everyone.
Red suffered a stroke in December, 2013, but had a remarkable recovery. He always tried to make light of things – saying that life was difficult enough and he was trying to cheer people up and make their lives a bit happier.
He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.
Red is survived by his wife, Christina, at the family home on the North Bench; his children, Rebecca "Rifka" Ann Helton of Moscow, John "Johann" William (Susan) Helton of Boise, Kathy Annette (James) Cooper of Pullman, Washington, Thomas Michael (Jeanne) Helton of Coeur d’Alene, and Carolyn Suzanne (William) Hicklin of Viola, Idaho, and his grandchildren; Mathias Helton (Shruti) Morache of Kirkland, Washington, and Crystal Dawn (Chadwick) Berry of Boise.
Charitable contributions may be made to My Father’s Idaho, P.O. Box 8594, Moscow, Idaho 83843, or to the charitable organization of your choice in Red’s name.