Helen E. Dunker

Helen E. Mach was born December 31, 1916, the daughter of John and Anna (Thaler) Mach, on her parent’s farm in Bon Homme County near Vodnany, South Dakota. She grew up on the farm and attended rural school and graduated from Wagner High School in 1934.

Helen was united in marriage to Clifford Hilton on January 11, 1935 in Mitchell, South Dakota.

They lived in various places in eastern South Dakota before moving to Belvidere in 1944 where Clifford managed the Tri-State Elevator and Helen was the bookkeeper.

After Clifford’s death on January 5, 1946, she continued to reside in Belvidere.

Helen was united in marriage to James "Bruce" Dunker of Belvidere on September 14, 1946 in Rapid City. They moved to his farm-ranch southeast of Interior in 1949. In 1954 they moved into Interior where they purchased a package liquor store, which Helen operated and Bruce worked for the National Park Service. In 1968 they sold the store and moved back to the farm-ranch southeast of Interior. Bruce preceded her in death on March 13, 1973. She moved into Interior where she resided until moving into the Senechal apartments in Philip in 2001. Later she moved into the Silverleaf Assisted Living Center in Philip before moving into the Philip Nursing Home where she has since resided.

Helen was an expert seamstress, beginning by sewing button holes for a penny a piece during the early years and continued to design and sew wedding dresses, coats, dresses and countless children’s clothes. Helen crocheted miles of thread into doilies, table clothes and bedspreads. She designed and quilted a quilt for each of her children.

Helen especially enjoyed the challenge of growing flowers in the Badlands gumbo. Her beautiful flower gardens were a showplace to all who passed by.

Helen spent countless hours collecting rocks, especially the Fairburn agate in the rock beds surrounding Interior.

Helen was an avid reader and loved word games of any kind. She made it a point to work and complete the daily crossword puzzle and would challenge anyone to a game of scrabble

Helen was a member of the Interior Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian Women, Current Events Club, the Interior Senior Citizens, and the Bad River Senior Citizens of Philip.

Grateful for having shared her life are four sons, Russell Hilton and his wife Audrey of Sturgis, Billy Hilton and his wife Deanna of Black Hawk, Roger Hilton of Interior, and Peter Dunker and his wife Betty of Wall; three daughters, JoAnn Sell and her husband Frank of Mitchell, Marilyn Gartner and her husband Ronald of Interior, and Lessie Schoenfelder and her husband Charles of Boise, Idaho; eighteen grandchildren; thirty-eight great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; two sisters, Esther Payer of Wagner, South Dakota, and Thelma McDowell of Las Vegas, Nevada.

In addition to her husbands Clifford Hilton and Bruce Dunker, Helen was preceded in death by one son Jerry Hilton, two grandchildren; her parents; two brothers William and Arthur Mach; and one sister Josephine Ptak.

Visitation was held from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 23, at the Rush Funeral Home in Philip and one hour preceding the services at the church on Monday.

A Service of Witness to the Resurrection was held 2:00 p.m. Monday, February 24, at the Interior Presbyterian Church with Pastor Jeff Tippner officiating.

Interment was in the Interior Cemetery.

A memorial is established to the Interior Presbyterian Church.

SERVICE OF WITNESS
TO THE RESURRECTION
Monday, February 24, 2003 2:00 p.m.
Interior Presbyterian Church
Interior, South Dakota

MINISTER
Pastor Jeff Tippner

MUSIC
Valerie Guptill – Pianist
Congregational Hymns
"Amazing Grace" #429
"How Great Thou Art" #111
"Mansion Over The Hilltop"

USHERS
Perry Guptill - Galen Livermont

PALLBEARERS
Myron Linde - Thad Olson
Bruce Dunker - Doug Daane
Brad Johnson - Shannon Gartner
Brad Neuschwander - Jeff Schoenfelder

HONORARY PALLBEARERS
The Presbyterian Women
The Current Events Club Members Of Interior
All Relatives and Friends in Attendance

INTERMENT
Interior Cemetery
Interior, South Dakota

Service Details

Funeral Services:
Monday, February 24, 2003 2:00 p.m.
Interior Presbyterian Church
Interior, South Dakota

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