Helene Hadsell was a famous American woman who won hundreds of contests and sweepstakes in her lifetime. She was also a metaphysical teacher and author who shared her secrets of positive thinking and manifesting. She died in 2010 at the age of 86, leaving behind a legacy of inspiration and generosity.
Who was Helene Hadsell?
Helene Hadsell was born as Helen Barbara Daeschel in 1924 in South Dakota. She married Pat Hadsell during World War II and settled in Texas, where they had three children. She was a homemaker, a choir president, a Girl Scout leader, and a society news editor. She also entered the Mrs. America Pageant in 1958 and made it to the finals.
She started entering contests and sweepstakes in 1948 as a family hobby, but did not win much until she took a correspondence course in contest writing and learned how to craft catchy slogans and phrases. She also developed a four-step method of manifesting, which she called SPEC: Select it, Project it, Expect it, Collect it. She applied this method to every contest she entered, and soon she became known as the “contest queen”.
She won many prizes, such as cars, appliances, furniture, trips, and even a house that was showcased at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair. She also won cash, which she used to help her family, friends, and charities. She estimated that she won over $1 million worth of prizes in her lifetime.
She also became a public speaker and a metaphysical teacher, who lectured and held workshops on positive thinking, affirmations, visualization, and manifestation. She was a “Doctor of Metaphysics” and the author of the popular book The Name It and Claim It Game: with WINeuvers for WISHcraft. She also claimed to have psychic abilities, such as levitation, telepathy, and precognition.
How did Helene Hadsell die?
Helene Hadsell died on October 30, 2010, at the age of 86. The exact cause of her death is not publicly known, but according to some sources, she suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in her later years. She was also affected by the death of her adopted daughter, Anjelica “AJ” Hadsell, who was murdered by her adoptive father, Wesley Hadsell, in 2015. Wesley Hadsell was convicted of first-degree murder in 2022 and sentenced to life in prison.
Helene Hadsell’s death was mourned by many people who admired her as a contest winner, a metaphysical teacher, and a generous person. She was also remembered by Carolyn Wilman, a fellow contestor and author, who republished her books and shared her stories on podcasts and blogs. Helene Hadsell’s legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of those who follow her teachings and apply her methods to win both sweepstakes and in life.
