Funeral services for Helen Meink, age 96, of Lemmon, SD, will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, August 11, 2014 at the Calvary Lutheran Church in Lemmon, SD, with Rev. Dana Lockhart officiating. Following a time of fellowship and luncheon, burial will be held at the Bison Cemetery.

Special music will be provided by Marilyn Willey.

Serving as casketbearers are Troy Meink, Brant Meink, Troy Merkel, Tom Moes, Richard Smith, and Rich Parcel.
Serving as Honorary Casketbearers are Risa Moes, Dede Smith, Stacie Gillespie, Penny Preszler, Wendy Parcel, Paula Preszler, Tonya Friese, and Tabitha Mauri, and all of Helen's great and great great grandchildren.

HELEN WINIFRED GOERNDT was born on May 23, 1918, the daughter of Walter and Emma (Schar) Goerndt. She was born on the Schar ranch 2 miles west of Strool, SD with the help of a midwife. Helen attended grade school in Strool Township at different locations. One school was five miles away, but they always had a "taxi", which was their fathers Model T. She attended high school in Bison, Sorum, and graduated from Spearfish High School in 1935. She attended Black Hills Normal School for one year where she earned her teaching certificate. Her first teaching position was in 1936. Helen said that all the students were boys.

Helen met Murray Edward Meink who was working for her uncle. Helen and Murray were united in marriage on June 13, 1938 at Belle Fourche, SD. Their new home was a sheep wagon in the hills where Murray herded sheep. They moved to Iowa where Sandra was born, and then moved to Florence, Oregon where Murray operated a dairy farm from 1940 to 1947. While in Oregon, Carole and Duane were born. They then moved to a ranch southwest of Bison (Date). During this time, Donald was born in Hettinger, North Dakota. In 1955, they moved back to Oregon. In 1957, they returned to the Bison area and purchased a place in Barrett Township, south of Haynes where Helen and Murray have farmed and ranched. Helen taught at various schools in Perkins, Corson and Meade Counties in South Dakota and Adams County in North Dakota.
On January 3, 1981 her husband, Murray passed away. Helen and her son, Duane continued to operate the ranch. In March of 2014, Helen entered Five Counties Nursing Home in Lemmon. She passed from this life on Thursday evening, August 7, 2014 at the West River Regional Medical Center in Hettinger, ND.

She enjoyed watching Days of Our Lives, Wheel of Fortune, Price Is Right, embroidering and quilting.


She is survived by two sons, Duane (Sue) Meink, Lemmon, SD and Donald (Katherine) Meink, Crofton, NE; two daughters, Carole Preszler (Leonard Jonas), Lemmon, SD, and Sandra (Roderick) Friese, Buckley, WA; 11 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; 8 great great-grandchildren; and one brother, Fritz (Ruby) Goerndt, Baker, MT.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; two brothers, Bill and Jim Goerndt; one sister, Irene Kolb; and one grandson, Terence Friese.

Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 10, 2014 at the Evanson Jensen Funeral Home in Lemmon and one hour prior to services at the church on Monday.