The family and friends of Helen Valades of Sturgis mourn her passing yet celebrate her life, as she departed us on Mother's Day, May 11, 2014. Helen's warmth and love kept both family and friends close all these years.

A rosary will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14, 2014, at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 15, 2014, at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Sturgis.

Helen was born in Okla, WY, to Albert and Pearl (Chavez) Cordova and raised in Deadwood, SD, along with twelve other siblings. Helen grew up and went to Catholic school in Deadwood. In her late teens, she moved to Denver with her older sisters and worked there for two years, waitressing for a time in the canteen at Camp Carson. She later returned to Deadwood and waitressed at the Franklin Hotel.

After a year-long courtship, Helen married Gabriel Valades, from Edgemont, SD, in a double-ring ceremony at St. Aloysius Church in Deadwood on August 27, 1949, alongside Helen's sister, Lucy, who married Bob Smith from Lead.

From 1950 to 1957, Helen and Gabe resided in Edgemont, Chadron, NE, and Glendo, WY. In late 1957, Gabe, Helen, and family moved to Fort Meade, SD, where they resided for the next 30 years. They had eight children.

Helen took an active part in her children's many activities, including school, church, scouting, and 4-H, as well as social functions like Bridge Club with the Fort Meade Ladies Society. In the early 1970s, Helen began waitressing at the Phil-Town Truck Stop in Sturgis, where she worked for the next thirty years.

In 1986, Gabe retired from the V.A. Hospital and he and Helen moved to Sturgis where they resided until 2008 when Gabe and Helen moved into assisted living in Spearfish. Gabe passed away on June 27, 2008, and Helen eventually moved into Clarkson Health Care in early 2009.

Helen was preceded in death by her parents, Albert and Pearl Cordova; her husband, Gabriel, Sr.; her oldest son, Gabe, Jr.; and her sisters, Sara, Esther, Lucy, and Rose, as well as other siblings who died in childhood.

Helen is survived by a brother, Paul (Diane) Cordova, and sister, Fran Stillman; daughters, Rita Valades and Anita Valades of Rapid City, SD, Cathy (Bill) Flynn, Laramie, WY, Andrea Valades, Sturgis, SD; sons, Joe (Cherlyn) Valades, Spearfish, SD, John Valades, Casper, WY, and David (Marcy) Valades, Puyallup, WA; grandchildren, Shannon Flynn Bahn, Steven Flynn, Domenic Valades, Kerry Tarrant, Nicholas and Marcus Valades; and great-grandchild, Alev Bahn.

Memorials have been established in Helen's name for Clarkson Health Care in Rapid City and St. Aloysius Cemetery.

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