Details

Collection Summary
Collection: FND001 - SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Series: Tribute
Folder: DIG
Item: 270988
Title: Helen Simons
Date: 10/25/924-9/25/2023
Inscription/Marks: 10/25/1924
Summary: Helen Simons, 98, Bismarck, ND, passed away September 25, 2023, at CHI St. Alexius, Bismarck. A memorial service was held September 28, 2023, at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Bismarck. Burial took place later on October 13, 2023, at the Michigan Cemetery, in Michigan, ND. Helen Bachmeier was born October 25, 1924, in Orrin, ND, to Felix and Katherine (Schmaltz) Bachmeier. She would eventually have fifteen siblings. She grew up on the family farm and attended school in Orrin where her dad drove the horse-drawn school bus. Helen married Gordon Fosness on November 24, 1946. Gordon used his carpentry skills to turn a grain bin into their first home in Rugby, ND. They moved to Williston, ND, in 1954. They had four daughters: Donna, Charlotte, Rhonda, and Roxanne. They were members of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. She worked at Piggly Wiggly and Borud’s Bakery. Helen married LaVerne Simons in Devils Lake, ND, on May 26, 1974. They lived on his family farm south of Michigan, ND. She had a massive garden which led to a massive amount of canning. She loved her flower gardens and house plants. They were members of Michigan Lutheran Church where she was active in Sunday school as superintendent, Ladies Aid as treasurer and any and all church events involving cooking and serving food. She was a member of the area Homemaker’s Club. They worked hard on the farm, but Saturdays were special. Every week she had her hair done in the morning and they danced the night away at the Eagles Club in Devils Lake. They moved to Fordville, ND in the fall of 1983 where they owned and operated Simons Bar and Simons Café. She ran a good old small-town café with homemade meals and goodies. They became members of Fordville Lutheran Church where she again became the treasurer of Ladies Aid. Her embroidery and sewing skills made many quilts for the annual raffle. After she retired, she became the cook at the Fordville Senior Center where she was a member. Through the years she also babysat the children of various pastors. Helen has missed LaVerne every day since he passed on September 3, 2001. She moved to Bismarck in 2017 and was so happy in the 55+ community where she lived. She made wonderful friends and was busy with almost every activity there. Helen’s favorite places were the puzzle room where she was deemed “Puzzle Queen” and the room where Bingo and Wii bowling were held. She even tried pool and cornhole for the first time in the past year or so. She made beautiful handmade treasures with fabric, thread, and yarn. We will have embroidered towels, afghans, doilies, and many other crafts to remember her by. She liked games and cards and reading. Her favorite books were cookbooks. There was always one open on her counter or table. Her love language was feeding people. She would bake such delicious things and share them. Helen is survived by her daughters, Donna Jost, Charlotte Reister, Rhonda Fosness, and Roxanne (Arlin) Gardner; her twelve grandchildren; thirteen great-grandchildren; and eleven great-great-grandchildren; sisters, Adeline Bonn, Caroline Heilman (who shares her birthday), Gertrude Aabrekke, and Janice Phillips; brother, Gabriel Bachmeier; and many extended family members that come from 16 children! She was preceded in death by her parents; her first husband, Gordon Fosness; her second husband, LaVerne Simons; grandson, Zachary Smith, and granddaughter, Angela Smith; sisters, Betty Dickey, Mary Eva Kramer, Julia Kramer, Magdalena Bachmeier, Dorothy Weigel, Amelia Brown, and Esther Goldade; and brothers, Jacob Bachmeier, Casper Bachmeier, and Ludvig Bachmeier.
Red ID: FND_I_78479 Image ID: 599647 Image Notes: FND001 270988

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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