Helen Marie Gabriel

Helen Marie Gabriel, 82, of Aberdeen, SD, passed away Tuesday, June 28, 2022, at her home after a 19-month battle with lung cancer.

Helen’s wishes were to be cremated and she will be laid to rest at her Celebration of Life at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 2, 2022, at First Baptist Church, Aberdeen, with Pastor Gary Compton officiating. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the church. All who knew Helen are invited to come and celebrate her life with her family. A time of fellowship and a luncheon will follow the service at the church hall.

Schriver’s Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, 414 5th Avenue NW, Aberdeen, is in charge of arrangements.  Family and friends may sign the online guestbook and also view the service at www.schriversmemorial.com.

Helen Marie (Price) Gabriel was born to Helen (Peck) and Thomas Price on August 6, 1939, in Minneapolis, MN, and moved to Aberdeen, SD, when she was 6 months old. She was the oldest of 3 children, including her sister Patty, and her brother Bill.  She was raised with small, tamed wild animals and learned an appreciation of life from them.  She also learned how far and deep a love of animals can go, having had many family pets, including dogs, cats, foxes, raccoons, and coyotes.

Helen Marie met Jim Gabriel in high school and they were married in 1958. She sang her way through high school, and much of her young married life. Helen continued to sing as a soloist at her church, as well as in the choir. She has been a member of First Baptist Church in Aberdeen, SD since she was in 2nd grade. Until her passing, she was the longest living member of that church.

Helen enjoyed so many things in her lifetime – spending time with Jim and the rest of her family, woodworking in her woodshop, and spending time with Lucy, the family dog. She loved her family and friends fiercely. All who knew her loved her dearly.

Helen is survived by her husband, Jim, of almost 64 years; daughter Kari Sue (Richard Griffin) Gabriel, of Kalispell, MT; two sons, David Gabriel of Sioux Falls, SD, and Dan (Cathy) Gabriel of Watertown, SD; five grandchildren: Ariel Berg-DiGangi of Missoula, MT, Logan Gabriel of San Diego, CA, Jordan Gabriel of Sioux Falls, SD, Brennan Gabriel of Sioux Falls, SD, and Addysan Gabriel of Watertown, SD; and one sister, Pat Thomas of Wenatchee, WA.

Helen was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Jim’s parents; one brother Bill; and her special friend Ruth VanVeldhuizen. Helen said, “I know I will see them again and will be waiting for the rest of you, too!”

The family wishes to thank Dr. Richard Conklin, Chris Nelson, and the team at the Avera Cancer Center, as well as, the Avera@home hospice team, for taking such great care of Helen during her cancer journey.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Helen Marie Gabriel, please visit our floral store.