Helen Marie Gaede

Helen Marie Pankratz was born March 29,1940 in Hutchinson, KS to Helen and Andrew Pankratz. There were two children in the family; her sister, Sara Ann, was a year and a half older. They were poor, but they didn't know it at the time. During her childhood on the farm, she had many cherished memories. At a young age, Helen asked Jesus to be her Lord and Savior, and made that decision public when she was baptized on September 20, 1953, at the age of 13. She attended South Inman Grade School, a one room schoolhouse with one teacher instructing all eight grades. Helen was the only one in the first grade. The school was located a mile from home, and she would walk or ride a bike to school, even in winter. Helen was active in sports and didn't mind being called a "tomboy" since she could run as fast as the boys. After her seventh year the school was closing, and she began attending Buhler Grade School where she was again active in sports. Helen had many happy experiences during her four years, including being chosen as one of the queen's attendants for basketball homecoming. She graduated in 1958.
Helen attended Tabor College, where she met Dennis Gaede, a Shafter boy, during her sophomore year. They were married on Aug 31, 1961, in Buhler, KS. She received her BA in Home Economics in 1963. After graduation they moved to Manhattan, KS where Dennis continued his education at Kansas State University.
During their time in Manhattan both of their children were born, Randall and Rhonda. After graduation from Kansas State, they moved to Ottawa, KS and transferred their church membership to First Baptist Church. Then in 1968 they moved to Shafter and raised their family and attended Shafter MB church. In 1972 Helen started working at the Kiddie Kollege Preschool as a teacher's aide. She continued her education and became the program director. She received the Christian Education Service Award in 1977 and kept teaching children until her retirement in 2022.
Helen became a member of Shafter Mennonite Brethren Church on May 25, 1969, where she taught Sunday School and helped as an AWANA leader for many years. She loved playing volleyball on co-ed Monday nights, and more recently played pickleball. In 2017 Helen was honored by the Shafter Chamber of Commerce with the Education Award. In 2022 Helen received a Distinguished Service Award from the Kiwanis Club of Shafter for her many, many hours of community service. She was a longtime member and served as President of the Shafter Historical Society and she loved helping at The Depot Museum. Helen served as a Trustee at SMBC and enjoyed caring for the buildings and flower beds. She frequently was seen walking around Shafter. She was also known as the best painter in town, and even had two requests for painting jobs on her answering machine when she came home from her recent hospital stay.
At home, Helen enjoyed reading, gardening, and working puzzles. She was a pro at making Zwieback and mini Peppernut cookies. She loved watching many sports, especially her Kansas teams, but she was also seen around town cheering on her former Kiddie Kollege students and their teams.
Helen was ushered into the loving arms of Jesus on Saturday, February 17 in the early hours while Rhonda and her sister-in-law Marilyn Bergman were with her. We will miss her greatly.