Helen Clara (Dell) Gaskins was unexpectedly born at home north of Vale, SD, and delivered by her grandmother, Amilia Dell, to Benjamin and Clara (Knodell) Dell. She started out life with a pet goat as she was lactose intolerant, her tin cup hung around the goat's neck, and when thirsty, she had the freshest milk.
As the daughter of migrant workers, she spent her life living in a variety of houses from sod to labor shacks to railroad box cars. All were one or two rooms complete with one or two apple boxes. Her younger life was a working one of hoeing/harvesting sugar beets, melons, beans, and potatoes. Her father believed no one was too young to work hard and he was eventually able to buy 80 acres. She remembered the German prisoners of war working the beet fields as German was spoken in their house.
Attending Vale school, she enjoyed being a cheerleader and part of the debate club, as going to surrounding schools was the best of adventures afforded her. During winter, when the rivers would freeze up, all the children would put on their ice skates and exhaust themselves racing up and down, only stopping to enjoy the bon fire and a cup of hot coco and treats. Summer evenings would find her with friends on melon gathering outings from neighbor's fields. She loved to sing and knew all the songs of the day.
Her first love was a drug store cowboy named Burnell Gaskins. His shiny new car, boots, and hat was enough for her to marry and leave the area moving to Rapid City where he worked in a cabinet shop and then for Bell Telephone Company. They moved to Cleghorn Canyon and she had two children, Sandra and Randy. Grandchildren came along, James, Billy Rose, Cody, Katie, Pro, Soka, Soking, and 15 great-grandchildren.
After the 1972 flood, they moved to various houses in the Rapid City area, finally settling north of Nisland on the ranch she always wanted. She loved to wagon train and would hitch up a team or ride a horse or mule enjoying the countryside and the people she met along the trail. She raised chinchillas, chickens, ducks, and geese. Dogs and cats were never far from under foot. She had multiple diseases that included Parkinsons, COPD, and Fybromyalgia eventually ended her life too soon.
Helen, 83, Belle Fourche, died Friday, April 12, 2019, at Rolling Hills Healthcare in Belle Fourche.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Burnell.
A celebration of life will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 21, 2019, at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis.

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