Helen L. Gibbens, 88, of Cando, N.D., passed away Tuesday, May 22, 2018, at the Towner County Medical Center in Cando, ND. A Celebration of Life Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 25, 2018 at 10:30 A.M. at the Cando Masonic Lodge in Cando with Rev. Rick Craig officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Pioneer Foundation, P.O. Box 142, Cando, ND 58324 or Cando United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 250, Cando, ND 58324.

Helen Louise Parker Gibbens, daughter of Rueben S. Parker and Etta May Howell Parker, was born on July 17, 1929 in Cando, North Dakota. Helen graduated from Cando High School in 1947. On December 3, 1956 she married John B. Gibbens in Fargo, ND. They were engaged in farming until his passing in 2006. John and Helen were the parents of two children, J. Bruce Gibbens and Judith L. Gibbens. Helen was an avid gardener and enjoyed working with plants and flowers.

Over the years, she spent considerable time with livestock including sheep, pigs, cattle and horses. Bridget, a black and white Springer Spaniel, was the last of many dogs to find a home with Helen. Her favorite pastime involved reading books, especially history/biographies and murder mysteries. Later in their married life, John and Helen enjoyed traveling to distant places including the Panama Canal, Hawaii, China, and Russia. Helen also spent time helping the Pioneer Foundation to collect and file historical documents on the early settlers and their families in the Cando area.

In addition to Bruce and Judy, Helen is survived by son-in-law Bob Mickelson and grandsons Nathan Gibbens and his wife, Michelle all of Cando and John Carl Mickelson of Devils Lake; sisters-in-law Beverly Bratlee of Carrington and Kathleen Kolakowski of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She was preceded in death by her parents and five brothers Ray, Bob, Hal, Frank, and Dick Parker and her sister Ida Mae Miller.