Date of Birth: May 25, 1930
Date of Death: March 22, 2024
With sadness, we announce the passing of Helen Florentina (Rathgeber) Gattinger on Friday, March 22, 2024. She was 93 years of age.
Mom was born on May 25, 1930, to Joseph and Philippina (Litzenberger) Rathgeber and baptized in the Lutheran faith. She was confirmed on March 25, 1945, by Rev. A. Shira. Mom attended Baber and Piller schools. She always had a saying while attending Baber School – the teachers taught the kids, but at Piller School, the kids taught the teacher. What a culture shock. Some things are not to be forgotten.
Helen married Wesley “Les” Gattinger on Oct. 23, 1950. They lived on the family homestead at Neudorf, where they farmed until 1987 when they semi-retired and moved to Melville, where they had built a new house. They had two children, Bev and Wade.
Never one to be idle for too long, Helen always found something to do. She took great pride in her house, garden and yard. She always had a big garden; when others couldn’t grow a garden for lack of rain or what-ever, Helen always managed to have one. She planted a lot of trees on the farm and tilled in them because she didn’t like weeds. She also planted a lot of trees and shrubs in town and kept them weedless, as she did her garden. Helen collected coins and the most beautiful and unusual stones; she was a great stone collector. While living on the farm at Neudorf, she sang in the choir for 10 years at Trinity Lutheran Church. Helen would entertain her neighbours and friends with birthday suppers and lunches. Her friends often commented on her good homemade bread, kuchen, doughnuts and caramel buns, which her family still talks about.
Mom loved and cherished all her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and she would always encourage them on to bigger and better things. She often wished she could have spent more time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and tell them stories of how she grew up when times weren’t as good as now.
Mom was predeceased by her parents, Joseph (1975) and Philippina (1996) Rathgeber; her husband, Wes (Les) in 2005; her brothers, Frederick William, Valentine, Henry and Arthur; and her sister, Frieda Graff. Remembering her are her children, Beverley (Peter) Parke of Winnipeg, MB, and Wade (Carmen) Gattinger of Neudorf, SK; her grandchildren, Tracey (Roland) Kolbauer, Peter Wesley Parke (Elisha Yaschuk) and Hunter Gattinger; her great-grandchildren, Lhili and Lukas Kolbauer; her sister, Alice DeMello; her sister-in-law, Helen Rathgeber; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
The family thanks the Yorkton and Preeceville hospital staff for their excellent care during her hospital stays.
Helen’s funeral service was held Saturday, March 30, 2024, at Matthews Funeral Home, Melville, with the Rev. Brian Mee officiating. Beverley Parke shared memories on behalf of the family, and the pallbearers were Peter Wesley Parke, Roland Kolbauer, Lucas Kolbauer and
Hunter Gattinger. Interment took place in the Melville City Cemetery.
Arrangements were entrusted to Matthews Funeral Home, Melville.
