- Date Of Birth: March 31, 1928
- Date Of Death: August 27, 2015
- State: Iowa
Helen Gales, 87, died on Thursday evening, Aug. 27, at home in St. Joseph, Iowa. Helen Stella Bormann Gales, daughter of Mike and Minnie Kohlhaas Bormann, was born on March 31, 1928, on the family farm in Sherman Township, Kossuth County, Iowa. She attended St. Joseph School, graduating in 1946. She held jobs as a school cook and as a domestic helper for families in and around St. Joe before marrying classmate Ernest M. Gales on Feb. 19, 1952, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. Joe. They farmed four miles east of St. Joe for 50 years before retiring in St. Joe in 2001. In addition to raising nine children, Helen committed her time to many volunteer efforts. She was an active member of the St. Joe Parish and for many years was in charge of scheduling musicians for Masses. She was part of a small team that researched and wrote the 384-page parish history, “Saint Joseph Parish 1876-1976.” Helen was a 64-year member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas and served as regent in St. Joe from 1983-87. She was a key member of committees that created CDA cookbooks in 1984 and 2003, and personally sold hundreds of copies of both. Helen held a special devotion to the Franciscan Sisters who taught in the St. Joe School and the Presentation Sisters who taught in Algona at Seton and Bishop Garrigan schools. She was an ardent supporter of Catholic education, and made certain all her children had the opportunity to attend Catholic colleges and universities. In the 1970s she was a volunteer teacher’s aide for junior high school students at St. Joe. Helen was a strong advocate for the arts. For 28 years she served on the board of the Kossuth County Concert Association. She was an enthusiastic supporter of arts education, never missing concerts, plays and recitals that often included her children. Helen said her three hobbies were baking, genealogy, and writing greeting cards. She baked thousands of cookies, bars, pies and other desserts and worked hard to keep a variety on hand to share with her children, grandchildren, and visitors. Her diagnosis with pancreatic cancer in March 2015 seemed to give her even more energy to bake for the steady stream of visitors who wanted to know how she was doing and to gain strength from her cheerful, gentle presence. Her work on the St. Joe parish history book sparked a deep interest in family history that took Helen and Ernie to Luxembourg three times to visit known relatives and connect with new ones. She gathered photos of family ancestors and put together sets for each of her children, each photo labeled with names, dates and other information. Helen was a tireless and faithful sender of greeting cards to her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, relatives and friends for birthdays, anniversaries, and other milestones. She also corresponded with young men of St. Joe who were in the service, as well as with many priests and nuns. Her cards helped maintain strong connections with family and friends scattered across many miles. Helen is survived by her husband of 63 years, Ernie Gales; children, Stephen & Elizabeth Gales of Mason City, Cecilia & Stephen House of New Brighton, Minn., Paul Gales & Patricia O’Donnell of Phoenix, Ariz., Dolores & Art Cullen of Storm Lake, Charles & Elizabeth Gales of Lancaster, Penn., Barbara & Dan Haag of Eau Claire, Wis., Carol Gales & Jim Dory of Nome, Alaska, Steve Rottler of Seattle, Wash., and Therese Gales & Mark Gaertner of St. Paul, Minn.; 20 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. Helen is also survived by one sister, Marguerite Laubenthal of Wesley, Iowa; sisters-in-law Caroline Bormann of Algona and Irene Bormann of St. Joe; and brother- and sister-in-law Roman & Joy Gales of Glenview, Ill., sister- and brother-in-law Kathryn & Daryl Baker of Algona, and sister-in-law Mary Lou Lane of Algona. They all will remember Helen for her patience, tolerance, generosity, and good humor—as well as for her faith, which brought her through life and her experience with cancer with both confidence and grace. Helen was preceded in death by her parents; children Mary Helen Gales, John Gales (in infancy), Mary Louise Gales (in infancy); brothers Lt. Irvin Bormann (died in World War II), Clarence Bormann, and Harold Bormann; parents-in-law Ernest J. & Veronica Gales; brother-in-law Maurice Laubenthal, and sister- and brother-in-law Marjorie & John Capesius. Contributions in Helen’s memory may be made to Bishop Garrigan Schools, the Kossuth County Care Team, or Hospice of the Heartland.
