Details

Collection Summary
Collection: FND001 - SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Series: Tribute
Folder: DIG
Item: 11245
Title: Helen Assel
Date: 1918 - 2007
Creator:
Inscription/Marks: 5/7/1918
Summary: Helen Assel, 89, Mandan, died November 8, 2007 at St. Alexius Medical Center, Bismarck. Mass of Christian Burial was held Monday, November 12, 2007, at Christ the King Catholic Church, Mandan, with Rev Patrick Schumacher celebrating. Burial was in Mandan Union Cemetery. Helen was born May 7, 1918, the daughter of William and Magdalena (Schaeffer) Hermes. She was raised in Mandan, and as a young child her father died. Her step father, Joseph Helbling, then was an important father figure. After graduating from Mandan High School, Helen continued her education at McPhail School of Music in Minneapolis which resulted in her becoming an accomplished pianist and accordian player. On February 25, 1941, she and Christ Assel were united in marriage. She often worked with her husband at the Mandan Red Owl grocery store. Helen was a loving, faithful, generous, and outgoing woman who loved her family dearly. Her many interests include: cooking, baking, gardening, crocheting, and traveling to see her family. Her love of the outdoors had her spending time in her garden and going fishing. Helen was an avid and proud sports fan, attending sporting events her children played in. Helen’s competitive spirit was evident in a spirited game of bridge. Helen’s strong Christian faith was seen in her lifestyle as an active member of Christ the King Church. Volunteering many hours during elections, counting ballots and doing election related surveys, was enjoyable for her and she later became a supervisor there. Her great pride was being with her family and grandchildren. Her legacy of love, laughter, and charity is carried in the hearts and lives of all who loved Helen which include; two daughters and one son-in-law, Marge Assel, Fort Collins, CO and Kathleen (Edward) Tillery, Pauls Valley, OK; three sons and daughters-in-law, William (Margaret), Rochester, NY, Thomas (Barbara), Milwaukee, WI, and Chris (Karen), Bismarck; fourteen grandchildren; five great grandchildren; one sister, Bernadine Falcon, WA; and one bother, James Helbling, Eugene, OR. Helen was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and three sisters, Katherine Swindling, Lucille Myers, and Josephine Burke.
Red ID: FND_I_62009 Image ID: 522391 Image Notes: FND001 11245

Collection: FND001 Digitized Images from Collection
Title: SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Date: -

Summary: The North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program is sponsored by the North Dakota Funeral Directors Association. The life stories of deceased North Dakotans are featured in an archvied collection. Current partners in the project are Eastgate Funeral & Cremation Services, Bismarck Evans Funeral Homes, Carrington and New Rockford Everson-Coughlin Funeral Home, Williston Fulkerson Funeral Home, Tioga Fulkerson Funeral Home, Watford City Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home, Williston Nero Funeral Home, Bottineau Parkway Funeral Service, Bismarck Springan Stevenson Funeral Home, Stanley Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson These funeral homes provide recent obituaries to the Foundation, where staff and volunteers format, edit and archive each memorial. The memorials are posted, and copies are sent to the family for their input and approval. The listing currently features more than 13,000 memorials, and is constantly updated as new memorials and histories are received.

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