Helen Kouba

The Mass of Christian burial for Helen Kouba, 82, Dickinson, formerly of Regent, is 10:30 a.m. Monday, August 6 at St. Henry's Catholic Church in Regent. Rev. Charles Zins and Deacon Don Gion will officiate with concelebrants Fr. Denis Fournier, O.S.B. and Fr. Lawrence Wagner, O.S.B. Burial will be in the Regent Cemetery. A rosary service is 7 p.m. Sunday evening at St. Henry's Catholic Church Regent. Serving as Active Casketbearers are her grandsons, Shad Kouba, Greg Peters, Tyler Kouba, Beau Kouba, Willie Kouba, Jace Kouba, Joel Kouba and Matt Dobitz. Serving as Honorary Casketbearers are her granddaughters, Jennifer Wiederholt, Denae Eckelberg, Kimberly Larson, Lindsay Magelky, Katie Dobitz, Kori Dobitz, Kari Dobitz, Michaela Greff, Kelli Schmidt, Molly Kouba and all of her great grandchildren. Helen passed away Wednesday, August 1 at St. Benedicts Health Center in Dickinson surrounded by her family. Helen Jesch was born January 23, 1930 at the Jesch family home located thirteen miles northeast of Regent. She was the oldest of seven children born to Lena (Flohr) and Peter Jesch. She attended country school until the eighth grade and as the eldest of the family she stayed at home to help with the farm chores. Helen was united in marriage to Charles H. Kouba on September 13, 1948. They had seven children and lived on the Kouba family farm near Black Butte seven miles northwest of Regent. There, for 40 years Helen devoted her time and love to Charles and her family. They moved into Regent in 1989 and then to Dickinson at Park Avenue Villa in 2008. Charles passed away in February of 2011 and Helen moved to St. Benedict's Health Center in April of 2012. Helen was blessed throughout her life to be surrounded with family, be it her children or grandchildren or great- grandchildren, and many friends and neighbors who became like family to her. That may be why she continually had an abundant supply of freshly baked bread and baked goods on hand. She loved to cook and feed those who came to her home, that was how Helen showed her love. She had a gift for raising flowers and spent her summers in her large garden and making her yard a place of beauty. Helen was a kind and gentle, loving and caring wife, mother and grandmother. Helen is survived by five sons and two daughters; Chuck and Debbie Kouba, Rapid City, SD; Brother Llewellyn Kouba, Assumption Abbey, Richardon, ND; Bruce Kouba and Janice Wandler, Dickinson, ND; Ken and Linda Kouba, Regent, ND; Brian Kouba, Regent, ND; Paulette (Gary) Peters, Dickinson, ND; Lunette (Reed) Dobitz, Regent, ND; eighteen grandchildren; eighteen great-grandchildren; one sister, Hilda (Jesch) Lutz, Mott, ND; sisters-in-law Mary (Kouba) Osowski, Minto, ND, Mildred (Kouba) Jesch, Dickinson, ND; Marlene Kouba, Regent, ND; and brother-in-law, John Krug, Mott, ND. She was a lifelong member of the St. Henry's Catholic Church Ladies Guild. Helen was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Charles H. Kouba; her parents, Peter and Lena (Flohr) Jesch; one sister, Bernadine, four brothers, John, Nick, Peter and infant brother, Robert and great-grandson, Jaxon Wiederholt. Visitation will be on Sunday from 2:00 to 7:00pm at St. Henry's Catholic Church in Regent.