Helen Rose Kelley

Helen Rose Kelley, 73, of Tyndall, South Dakota, died on January 24, 2024, at her daughter, Krista’s home in Glendale, Arizona, where she had been wintering. 

A Celebration of Life will be held 10:30 a.m. Monday, February 12 at United Methodist Church in Tyndall. Visitation begins at 9:30 a.m. at the church. Inurnment will be at St. Leo Catholic Cemetery, Tyndall. 

Helen was born on July 12, 1950, in Jackson, Minnesota, to Elden M. and Marie F. (Gemmill) Magoon. When Helen was young, her father moved the family to Denver, Colorado, which began Helen’s lifelong love of the mountains. Helen graduated from Aurora High School in 1968. At a skating rink in Aurora, Colorado, Helen met the man who would become the love of her life, William Kenneth “Kenny” Kelley. Kenny and Helen were married on August 31, 1973. To this union were born two daughters, Lara Colleen (Kelley) Hudson and Krista Marie Kelley. While residing in Colorado, Helen worked as a secretary/dispatcher for a moving company and owned a handmade jewelry business with Kenny, traveling to various Black Powder Shoots in the area.

In 1981, Kenny and Helen moved to Kenny’s home state of South Dakota, moving first to Kaylor, and then to Tyndall in 1983. While residing in South Dakota, Helen worked at the Tripp Good Samaritan Society, and then at Chicago Rawhide in Springfield, where she remained until its closing in 2006.

Helen then worked at the local grocery store in Tyndall, wherein all customers could expect a friendly smile and a warm hello when passing through the door. When Helen wasn’t working, you could find her working on her garden or helping Kenny with their elaborate Christmas displays, a tradition that Helen kept up after Kenny’s passing in 2005. Helen loved seeing the joy in children’s eyes when they saw the “Christmas Wonderland” she had created. Helen was a devoted mother and grandmother, attending all of her grandchildren’s school functions, as well as their baseball, softball, football, and basketball games. Helen was proud to attend her children’s and son-in-law’s college graduation ceremonies, as well as her grandson and granddaughter-in-law’s. She was looking forward to attending her other grandchildren’s ceremonies as well. Helen was very proud of her family’s accomplishments. When Helen’s grandson, Case, and his wife, Ashley, were married on August 3, 2023, Helen was proudly and happily sitting in the front row.

It would be very wrong to say that Helen lost her battle because she never stopped fighting. No matter how sick Helen was, how difficult it was for her to breathe, Helen always remained determined. She treated everyone with dignity, kindness, and respect, and she always had a smile on her face. Helen taught us what it meant to be a kind, gentle, and peaceful soul, and she will be tremendously missed by all that knew and loved her.

Helen’s memory will be cherished by her daughters, Lara (Tyler) Hudson, Yankton, SD, and Krista Kelley, Glendale, AZ; grandchildren, Case (Ashley) Roth, Minnetonka, MN, Kylie Roth, Yankton, SD, and Drake and Aubrey Hudson, Yankton, SD; brothers-in-law, Al Wright, Mark (Jacquie) Kelley and Mike (Jo) Kelley; sisters-in-law, Mary (Troy) Jones, Pat (Steve) Flett, and Cathy (Tom) Winckler, and several nieces and nephews.

Helen was preceded in death by her husband of 31 years, Kenny; her father, Elden; mother, Marie; sisters, Elaine and Kathy, and a very special niece, Pamela.