Helen C. Flatmoe, 97, of Rapid City, SD, passed away on June 14th, 2022 in Rapid City, SD.

Helen was born in Dupree, South Dakota to Otto and Ruth E. Brooks Rosenau on January 14, 1925. Otto homesteaded in Northwestern Zieback county between the Thunder Butte Creek and the Moreau River. Helen is the oldest of four children born while living on the homestead (Clara, Adeline, and Frank). Helen became her Dad and Mom’s right hand “man”. She rode horseback before she could walk. Her mother would take her along while tending the sheep and cattle. At age 5 she often went by herself and from the age 6 she rode her horse to school, herded sheep and brought the milk cows home. Brothers Darrel and Fred were born after they moved to Raymond, SD (1936).

Helen attended a rural school (BeeHive) from grades 1-5, and then completed grades 6 – 10 at Ash Consolidated School in Ash Townshp, near Raymond, SD. She graduated from Clark High School in 1943. Immediately after graduation Helen enrolled in summer school at Northern States Teacher’s College, Aberdeen, SD and earned a certificate to begin teaching that fall. After teaching for two and half years she joined her sister, Clara in Fresno, California and worked for the Santa Fe Railroad for two and a half years before returning to Raymond, SD.

Helen took a temporary teaching job for a few months at Meadow Central, Meadow, SD. While at Meadow she met Iver Flatmoe in the midst of a blizzard during the winter of 1949. They were married in Clark, SD on April 15, 1950.

The couple moved to Pickstown, SD, where Iver was employed building the Ft. Randall Dam. That Fall (1950) they moved to Kansas City, Mo, where Iver attended trade school studying Auto and Diesel Mechanics and Helen worked as a waitress. Upon Iver’s graduation they moved back to Raymond, SD where they farmed for several years. Their 1st daughter, Carol, arrived on November 26, 1953 and their 2nd daughter, Marilyn, was born on April 15, 1955, while living in Raymond. After farming Iver then worked for several seasons hauling gravel while Helen taught in rural schools.
In the Fall of 1959 the family moved to Rapid City, SD and have made it their home ever since. Their 3rd daughter, Bonnie, arrived August 20, 1961 while Iver was building their new house in Rapid Valley, which they moved into shortly after Bonnie birth.

Son Kristopher was born on April 29, 1968. In 1978 the Flatmoe family moved into another house that Iver built in a wooded area southwest of Black Hawk, SD. During this period Helen worked as a realtor and Iver developed a long-term career working at Pete Lien and Sons.

Helen transitioned from realty to owning her own distributing business – which she retired from when Iver retired from Pete Lien in 1994.

Helen is survived by three children: daughter Marilyn Bolt and spouse Greg Bolt, daughter Bonnie Logan and spouse Greg Logan, and son Kristopher Flatmoe. Beside her three living children Helen is survived by 11 grandchildren and 27-1/2 great-grandchildren. She is survived by 4 siblings: Clara Redwine, Frank Rosenau, Darrel Rosenau and Fred Rosenau and their spouses.

Helen is preceded in death by her spouse Iver Flatmoe (2006), her daughter Carol (2004), her parents Otto and Ruth Rosenau, and her sister Adeline Hupp.