Helen Luckinbill

Welcome to Helen's story...

Helen was a devoted mother, educator, musician, and volunteer. She lived the first five years of her life in Rock Valley, Iowa. She was the 10th child born of 11 children, to Dutch immigrants Sybren (Sam) and Klaaske (Gladys Spyksma) Schaafsma. Her parents and siblings proceeded her in Death: Sybren , Gladys, Thomas, Hattie, Tom, Charlie, Theresa, John, Peter, Grace, Janet, Helen, Frances.

In the 1930's farmers were experiencing hard times during The Dust Bowl in Iowa. The family had friends who had moved to California, and they encouraged the family to move to California, too. Sam and Gladys picked up and moved to California and settled in Bellflower.

The family attended church in Heinz (Paramount), Ca along with many Dutch immigrant families. Helen's piano playing at home was annoying her siblings and parents. Finally she received piano lessons at age 13. She then took organ lessons and played at her organ teacher's wedding at age 16. Soon she would play the pipe organ.

During her teen years she participated in Christian Endeaver-Youth Group at Emmanuel Reformed Church in Paramount, Ca. She would tell of the story

of getting picked up in a black limousine, 1940's style car that looked like a hearse, that one of the boys, Harvey, would drive and charge everyone a quarter for the ride to and from church. She said the night would end with Helen and her sister Frances screaming while the hearse sped on Airplane Hill in Long Beach, before they would be dropped off at home.

Her father was a carpenter, and he began building barns in California. Later on the family business blossomed into building dairy farms, buildings, churches and many custom homes. But, the girls weren't allowed to do that kind of work.

Helen had other plans. She had attended Excelsior High School but graduated from Compton High School then attended one year at Compton when it offered a four year junior college (1932-1949). Helen could type as fast as the banker could dictate at one of her first jobs. She also scooped ice cream at The P.S. Ice Cream in Bellflower. She talked about her days as a play ground leader in Compton and playing basketball with no knee pads on the cement.

As a daughter, Helen, was the first in her family to go away to college. Her sister Frances would soon follow. Helen traveled by train to Iowa and attend Central College , Pella, Iowa. Helen was a music education major and studied pipe organ, piano and conducting. She took piano lessons from Minka Bartels, who was a concert pianist, while at Central College. Minka and her husband Cor Bartels, (German Artist) who also taught at Central College, became life time friends.

She graduated and went on to study pipe organ at Drake University, later. Helen treated all with kindness, fairness, dignity, and equality.

Helen's first K-12 vocal music teaching job was in Gilman, Iowa then after a year she moved to Gladbrook, Iowa. She lived in a boarding house with other women teachers in Gladbrook. She told us stories of seeing the musical Grease, L'ill Abner, and going to a jazz club where Louis "Louie" Armstrong was playing the trumpet.

It was during her years at Gladbrook she met her husband at Cecil and Mary West's home. One of her students, their son, had invited her to Thanksgiving Dinner.

Helen's wedding was at Emmanuel Reformed Church Paramount, Ca, at the church she grew up in.

She lived in Paramount and gave many piano lessons before moving to Chino, Ca. Helen was the choir director at Chino Valley Reformed Church, Chino, Ca, and gave piano lessons while raising her family. During this time children were born: Clint, Cindy and Sue.

Helen moved to Iowa in 1966 to help her husband because his parents, Harold and Winona Luckinbill, who were both very ill. This led to them owning and running Luckinbill's Bar-L Ranch-Childrens Horse Camp, Guthrie Center, Iowa, which was a summer camp that had been in business 9 years (1957).

Helen was industrious and interviewed for a vocal music teaching job in Panora, Ia, and began teaching the next Fall. During Spring breaks and weekends she would advertise the ranch at Sport Shows around the Mid-west: Omaha, Ne, Moline, Il, Kansas City, Mo, Minneapolis, Mn, Des Moines, Ia. Summers were busy with over 500 children attending horse camp over the months of April to September. Helen was the camp director and was known for her Dutch Clean, freshly painted home and camp grounds. Summer had a distinct rhythm.

Helen later taught vocal music at Adair-Casey and then YJB. She was a leader and will be remembered for her optimism, humility, and unwavering kindness. She gave many piano lessons and on weekend would play for weddings, memorials and sometimes at the Presbyterian Church. During this time she traveled to Holland with her college friends. Over the years many friends would come to visit the ranch in Iowa from California: Lou Anne and Don and their children, Beth and Harry and their family. My mom's best friend neighbor Julie and her husband Skip and their children. Many of her brothers, sisters & friends stopped in from out of state and would enjoy all the activity. We all had wonderful neighbors while at the ranch. Estel and Marva Lea Sharon, Boyd and Naomi Rutherford who lent helping hands in the winters. So many close friends and cherished memories.

As children we remember Nellie Gustafson cracking 100 eggs at 6:00 am. Betty and Gerald Simmons for their kindnesses. Betty could really cook up a storm in the ranch kitchen. We had some really wonderful summer camp cooks: Garnet Sealy, Diane Simmons, Darlene (Bob) Fritts, Shirley Donovan to name a few.

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The dot dot dot of the ranch...

The big part of Summer for 20 years... was horse camp at the ranch.

The ranch life during the summertime was always a joyful time and it ran on a schedule. Preparing for summer and camp: painting the buildings, washing windows, waxing floors, cleaning of the tack room(s), saddle soaping many saddles, washing horse blankets and sweeping. Cliff Trostle (Rose) would help with repairing the saddles and making new reins for the bridles.

My sister and I would mow using an international tractor about 3 acres of lawn that included around the recreational hall, baseball field, volleyball court, bleacher grounds and camp fire area. The Camp Counselors and Junior Counselors of high school and college age would come a week early to prepare for camp. Other staff consisted of cooks, cleaning crew, laundry crew and bus driver. Helen was the camp director.

Summer the camp hosted 500 campers during a 12 week period. The boys and girls were ages 8-16. The camp started the first Sunday of June and ended the last full week of August.

Mornings were filled with the bell ringing at 7 a.m. with pancakes for breakfast and on Wednesday morning was the outdoor scrambled egg breakfast. Breakfast started with 120 eggs scrambled in a 36 inch frying pan over the campfire with little smokies sausage in a large pan, hot cinnamon rolls, juice and milk.

After breakfast campers would go back to make their bed and sweep the bunkhouse before going to the barn. Going to the barn meant going to the barn stall and getting the horse halter and waiting for their assigned pony or horse to be called. Next would be brushing and grooming the pony or horse before saddling up. The counselors would help and assist.

Then the riders would ride around the front ring before going out to the riding trails in their groups. After riding for over an hour the counselors and campers would come back for break time for a bathroom break and to get a snack or water. Then the bell would ring and back out on the trails again. Lunch was at noon. The cooks in the kitchen would prepare delicious meals. The kitchen counselors would prepare and set all the tables and clean up. The campers would wash up before lunch then the clatter of the bell would announce lunch..

After lunch would be rest period for an hour. Following on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons we had Craft time: plaster of paris painting, wood crafts: boxes, plaques, candle making, leather crafts: belts, wristbands, moccasins. After rest period was over on the other days we would go swimming afternoon. The Bar-L Bus would load up and go to town to Mitchell Park, in Guthrie Center, with a pool. After that would be free time in the rec-room to play bumper pool, ping pong, shuffleboard, listen to records, play checkers, play the piano. Camp counselors would keep everyone busy. At least one afternoon during the week camp counselors would have a kickball game, softball, teether ball or volleyball game going on the field out front or barn swing time in the barn. The dinner bell rang at 6pm. Two nights a week we had cook-out and pony bareback riding in the riding ring. Two evenings had archery, roping, rifle target practice , bull whip cracking, sand rock to carve your name in the rock hillside. Afterward was a Snipe Hunt with s'mores and singing around the campfire. Friday night was skit night. Skit night was announced usually on Friday morning and rest period was spent planning skits. The stage out front by the campfire ring and picnic tables and baseball field was ready for the finest fun of all. Memorable times on that stage making fun. During the summer there would be an occasional trip to Spring Brook State Park to swim in the lake. Some campers would stay all summer. Some would stay two or more weeks. The usual stay was one week. Our weekends were filled with preparing for the new arrivals. Special trips were made during the 4th of July week to Exria, IA, parade and fair.

Teen week and All Girls week the campers would leave the grounds to board the Bar-L Bus to go riding at Bear-A-Grove. That was an exciting time to be riding in the country in the green pastures with a creek and large fresh water spring that was a pond. Lunches were brought out and served on picnic tables. The bag swing over the creek kept everyone busy having fun. Washing up with soap and water was always a must. There was a real out house. Good times were had at Bear-A-Grove. The horses would winter there. The Luckinbill's Bar -L Ranch raised their horses and cared for them throughout the year. Some horses would winter at a farmers place, most wintered on hay and in the corn stalks after the corn had been picked. We had lists of names of horses and what year they were born. Some of the favorite horse names were Crescent, Sonny and Cher, Liza, Barbie, Fonzie, Pepsi, Rocky, George Hamilton, HiC, Pineapple, Grapefruit, Feather, Tinkerbell, Calico, Copper, Chief, Ben, Midnight, Hook, Thunder, Sparkle, Sugar Foot, Gypsy, Princess, Bunny, Tammy, Thunder, Stormy, Fuzzy, Snoopy, Belt, Buckle, Gingham, Cotton, Zipper, Lace, Roscoe, Rosie, Perk, Linden, Cricket, Glory, Stony, Pepper, Bunny Blue, Chester, Pinto, Sage, Dinah, Bess, Topsy, Mopsy, Captain, Candy, King, Feather, Ginger, Pretty Boy, Nutmeg, Prince, Strutter, Sue, Debbie, Dancer, Bubble-up, Sunset, Buckskin Babe, Cimmaron, Stormy, August, Amber, Hickory, Paprika, Thundercolt, Pal, Paula, Penny, Satin, Cookie, Button, Little Joe, Biscuit, Mickey, Turvey, Little Abe, Jack, Jill, Smokey, Bows, Molly, Polly, Dorsey, Dorthy, Jackie, Doll Baby, Lightening, Diamond, Roan, Black Beauty, Flicka, Fanny, Clover, Chaparral, Buffy, Roslyn, Carter, Regan, Big Lady, Dimples, Duchess, Wildfire, Chico, Velvet, Little Lady, Brenda, Lucky Lady, Cola, Crow River, O'Reilly, Sunshine, Banner, Clove, Shine, Sierra, Susita, Shilo, Metoo, Hickory, Holly, Caroline, Ranger, Ladybird (Mr. Lily's favorite), Sherry, Spot, Starlet, Prancer, Comet, Raindrop, Dacron, Dixie, Paint, Coco, and American Quarter Stud Horse(s) Ace Doby, Sonny Dee Bar's Grandson who was named Gaines Sonny (4 white socks), Ace Shoshoni ... these are a few of the 120 horses and ponies names.

In the Fall of 1986, Helen sold the ranch and moved to Riverside, CA.

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Helen started on a new adventure. She bought a new home in the Canyon Crest area of Riverside, CA. She began teaching at Hawarden Hills Academy then moved to Val Verde Elementary School, Perris, CA. She taught 2nd grade then Kindergarten. Helen learned her Clear California teaching credential was a real bonus. She took many night classes and achieved as many certifications as she could. She even received the Teacher of the Year award for her outstanding Teaching at Val Verde School in Riverside County. Meanwhile, she was playing for the choir and Sunday services for the Hemet Reformed Church in Hemet, CA.

She moved to Brentwood, Ca, in 1999 to an active retirement community of Sommerset. She bought a new home by the golf course. She was singing and playing the piano for the group. She traveled on many day trips around the Bay area and Wine Country and made lots of friends. She lived near family.

In 2004, Helen moved to San Jacinto, Ca. She bought new home , since leaving the ranch in Iowa and its 1800's farm house, she liked having a new home. She loved the weather in San Jacinto and her new home. She began playing organ and piano at March Air Force base for their weekend services for both Protestant and Catholic services. She played there for and many dignitaries, memorials, and weddings.

Helen always lived close to family so she could see her grandchildren. Helen was blessed with five grandchildren: Helene, Harvey, John, Blair, Johnny and three great grandchildren.

Celebration of Life was March 24th, 2023 at Emmanuel Reformed Church, Paramount, Ca. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider donating to the Mrs. Luckinbill Memorial Music Scholarship given at AC GC High School, Guthrie Center, IA. GoFundMe.com has this registered and available 2023.

Watch video at https://vimeo.com/811381758