HURON — Helen M. Burnison, 97, of Huron, passed away Sunday, September 17, 2023, at Huron Regional Medical Center.

Her funeral service will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 22, at Faith Alive Community Church, with burial to follow at Restlawn Memory Gardens Cemetery.

Visitation with the family present will be one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday morning.  

Helen Martha Winter was born on May 1, 1926, to Nathaniel and Martha (Tiede) Winter on the prairies of Hand County. Helen was number six in a family of seven. Helen’s family was of German descent and only spoke German in the home. She attended country school through 8th grade. She left home at 14 to live with her Aunt and Uncle to attend Alpena High School where she graduated in 1944.

Helen wrote an autobiography in 1969 to which she told of her early life, attending secretarial school, and getting her first job in the mail room at Standard Oil Co., she then worked her way up to the General Bookkeeping Department. She rekindled her relationship with her high school boyfriend, Cecil Burnison. They married on April 24, 1948, in Alpena. They lived in Wagner for six months, before returning to Huron where Cecil was employed with the Daily Plainsman.

She then started her career as a full-time homemaker and mother to 5 children and a wonderful husband. Helen excelled at providing wonderful meals and she was always baking. Her specialties were kuchen, a German pastry, and her pies. Helen was involved in many activities and groups throughout her life including, Fortnightly, Red Hat Society, Mr. and Mrs. Dance Club and most importantly United Methodist Women. Helen volunteered for many events at the church including the annual Bazaar and organizing funeral lunches for over 50 years. She loved to quilt and crochet, golf, play Whist and Bridge. Socializing with her friends was very important to her. Helen and Cecil cherished their time together at their log cabin in Spearfish Canyon.

She is survived by her children, Paula (Alan) Hauber of Wausau, Wis., Mary (David Krall) Burnison of St. Paul, Minn., Carleen (Russ) Hovendick of Sioux Falls, Kent (Sue) Burnison of Spearfish and Lori (Jim) Entwisle of Huron; 10 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Cecil in 2008; her three brothers and three sisters.

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