Helen Patricia Reynolds

Funeral services for Helen P. Reynolds will be held at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, February 7, 2013 at Gillette Memorial Chapel with Pastor Bill Morel of Family Life Church officiating. Burial will follow in Mt. Pisgah Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4:00-7:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at Gillette Memorial Chapel.Helen Patricia Reynolds, age 80, of Gillette, Wyoming passed away on Friday, February 1, 2013 at Campbell County Memorial Hospital of natural causes.Helen Reynolds was born on December 26, 1932 to Fredrick Leslie and Helen Smith (Martin) Martin in a rail house on the United States-Canadian border where her grandparents lived in Chopeka, Washington. Weighing less than two pounds at birth they placed her on hot water bottles to maintain her body temperature, used hankies as diapers and a cigar box as a bed. As a young child she lived in the Chelan, Washington area until the death of her father. After her mother remarried, the family moved to northern California and as a teenager she met her future husband of 63 years, Ernest Francis Reynolds, Jr. in Arcata, California. On September 19, 1949, the young couple married in Carson City, Nevada with her mother as a witness. They were blessed with four children: Johnny Dwayne in 1950, Thomas Keith in 1954, George Ernest in 1956 and Rebecca Ann in 1967. The couple joked every time they moved away and then back to the Arcata, California area they had an addition to their family. In March of 1970, they moved to Mackey, Idaho and later on to Arco and Inkom, Idaho and Superior, Wisconsin before arriving in Gillette, Wyoming in December of 1979. While in California and Idaho, she worked as a nurse's aide and prided herself in the care she was able to give to others. She began working for K-Mart while living in Inkom, Idaho and when they moved to Gillette, she transferred with the corporation and became a service desk supervisor at the old K-Mart and worked a brief time at the new K-Mart before injuring her back and spent years enduring numerous back surgeries and pain. She was a very talented seamstress and enjoyed crocheting. Helen made numerous afghans, including one for each of her grandchildren. She loved to spend time with friends and family and this often meant trips to Arkansas, Montana and California. She truly enjoyed spending time with her kids and grandchildren and looked forward to their visits.Helen is survived by her husband of 63 years, Ernest Reynolds, Jr. of Gillette, Wyoming; sons: Johnny (Nicolas) Reynolds and George Reynolds and daughter, Rebecca Holdeman all of Gillette, Wyoming; sister, Sally Jo (Ernest) McCollum of Huson, Montana; brother, Larry Ray Nichols of Red Bluff, California; fourteen grandchildren: Kyle Moe of Corinth, Mississippi, Tyson (Monique) Reynolds of Rochester, Minnesota, Jason Reynolds , Stephanie (Flint) Mathews, Brandon Reynolds and Justin Reynolds all of the Hyrum, Utah area; Thomas (Stacy) Reynolds Jr., Christopher (Starla) Reynolds, Chad (Tiffany) Reynolds, Kelsey (Brad) Browning, Krista (Alex Kelley) Schwindt and Kamryn Holdeman, all of Gillette, Wyoming, Casey (Evelyn) Reynolds of Champaign, Illinois and Kayla (Todd) Zenor of Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota; twenty-eight great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.She was preceded in death by her parents; step-father, Harold Nichols; son, Thomas Keith Reynolds Sr.; son-in-law, Ted Holdeman; brother, Dean Nichols; sisters: Jean Lawrence and Eva Mae Henderson, and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.Memorials and condolences may be sent in Helen's name in care of Gillette Memorial Chapel, 210 W. 5th Street, Gillette, Wyoming 82716 or via the internet www.gillettememorialchapel.com.Funeral Home:Gillette Memorial Chapel210 West Fifth Street Gillette, WYUS 82716