On Sunday evening, June 23, 2024, Helen E. King-Burruss passed away peacefully at the age of 97.  Steve and Sharon want to thank you who were a part of her life.  In her final days she remembered many of you as we spent time reminiscing the "good old days".

Helen was born and raised on the family farm where her parents homesteaded south of Columbus, North Dakota. She attended primary and high school in Columbus, graduating in 1945. From 1945-1946 she taught school in a one-room classroom in the Columbus area. From 1946-1949, she studied and graduated from Central Bible Institute in Springfield, MO.

On July 12, 1949, she married Leslie L. King in Detroit Lakes, MN. Wearing a borrowed wedding dress, her Uncle Wagner walked her down the aisle as her dad wasn't happy that she was marrying a Pentecostal preacher. Interestingly, within a few years Les and her dad became good friends, with her dad living with them later in life.

She and Les pioneered an Assembly of God church in Pine City, MN, a church still thriving today. During that time, her father-in-law came to live with them and ended up marrying a lady in their church.

On March 24, 1951, they welcomed their first child, Robert in Rush City, MN. A few years later they took a church in Grafton, ND where Sharon was born on February 15, 1954. After returning to MN to pastor in Eagle Bend, Steven was born on Oct. 7, 1956.

In 1958, they moved to Detroit Lakes, managed a resort on Cottonwood Lake and then returned to pastoring the Assembly of God church in Crosby, ND for five years. In 1965 they moved to Sandpoint, ID for 2 ½ years to pastor the Assembly of God church
there. The next move was to Lawrence, KS. In 1971 they accepted being pastors of Faith Assembly in Lawrence. By 1974, Helen's nest was empty, and they moved to pastor Highland Park Assembly in Topeka, KS.

From time to time, Helen took on jobs such as selling Avon, Griff's burgers, was a Beauty Control and T-Fal sales lady. She was also a member of Women's Aglow. She enjoyed sewing, especially for her grandchildren. She flew several times to Bangladesh, once teaching in a primary school during her visit. She and Les were the first to give an offering so that the Home of Hope could begin in Bangladesh.

During these years her family grew. All three children married. Two in-laws remain: Judy King (Steve's wife) & Larry Smith (Sharon's husband).

On October 24, 1998, she married a second time to George Burruss, who passed away five years later.

Robert, her first born, passed away in 2011.

Steve gave her one granddaughter: Kimberly Grimes. Sharon gave her 2 granddaughters, Heather Rostocil and Melissa Williams and her only grandson, Luke Smith. She has 7 great-grandchildren: Christopher, Nicole and Tyler Williams and Joshua, Nathan, Hannah and Josiah Rostocil.

In 2013 she moved to Daphne, AL to be closer to Steve and his family and live in assisted living. Not one to slow down, in the last decade she made road trips with family as far north as Minnesota/North Dakota, west to California. She enjoyed having family close by, became an avid bingo player and worked cryptograms in her free time.

February 2024, she experienced a stroke that drastically changed her health. In April, she moved to Maranatha in Springfield, MO, a skilled nursing facility. She began hospice at Seasons Hospice in Springfield, MO on May 10, 2024, and joined her loved ones in heaven June 23, 2024.  We would like to say a special thank you to the nurses and aides at Maranatha and Seasons Hospice for the amazing care and support they provided.  It was a tremendous blessing during a hard time.

Mom requested that in lieu of flowers, a memorial fund be set up with the Home of Hope in Bangladesh.  If you wish to give to the Home of Hope or to the current building project for the discipleship ministry, please click the following link: https://www.hopegeneration.com/campaigns/h-e-a-r-t-ministry-building-project