Helen Ramona Rodarte Vigil passed away peacefully in her sleep on April 9th, 2022 at Wind River Rehabilitation in Riverton, Wyoming.
A Memorial Service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, July 29, 2022 at the Davis Funeral Home with a reception to follow at St. Margaret's Gym
Helen was born on March 24th 1936 to Valentin and Leonarda Rodarte in Gascon, New Mexico. The family later moved to Riverton, Wyoming which is where she met her loving husband Emilio. They were married July 22nd, 1959 and enjoyed 62 years of companionship and love. Together they had 3 daughters, Elaine Marie, Deborah Hope and Ramona Emilia. Helen always had an open door for her family and friends to come over to spend time and be loved but above all else, to be fed. She was a wonderful cook who had something cooking everyday and made sure anyone who came to her home would not leave hungry.
Her kindness didn't stop at a single meal though as several members of the family ended up living in the home she created. She cared for her father, Valentin, in the home several years after her mother's death; niece Eleanor Rodarte was like a daughter to her and lived with the family for a time. Helen was very respected and looked up to by her neices and nephews for how much she cared for them like her own children.
As a grandmother she was very involved in the lives of her grandchildren doing her best to help them flourish as they grew up. She was supportive of their activities and made sure they knew she loved them. Shopping with her granddaughters was one of her favorite things to do. She also went on fishing trips with the family along with her brother Ben.
Helen worked at Riverton Memorial Hospital for 35 years starting as a house keeper and ending her career as an accomplished respiratory therapist. During this time she also rode the ambulance and helped save many lives. Helen was bilingual, a skill she used while at the hospital to interpret for patients, she also interpreted for the police and on occasion during court hearings. It was a rare occurance if she didn't see someone she had connected with from the hospital out around town. People would always come up to chat with her when she was shopping with family and it was a trademark of shopping with Grandma.
Helen was the epitome of a helping soul. This was evidenced by her work at the hospital, Wyoming Senior Center and an orthopedic doctors office. Even when she was admitted to the nursing home she tried to assist the other residents until staff told her she wasn't allowed to do so.
She was not all work and no play though, taking pleasure in leisure activities like camping, fishing, playing cards with her family, going to the casino, riding her motorcycle, sewing, reading, playing pool and dancing. She had a great sense of humor.
Helen was preceeded in death by her daughter Deborah Funke and her loving husband Emilio Vigil. Her father Valentin and mother Leonarda Rodarte, her siblings, Beatrice Martinez, Mike Rodarte and Benito Rodarte. Her nieces Donna Martinez Elder, Theresa Torres and Susan Harless.
She is survived by daughters Marie Vigil and Ramona Vigil-Cook, granddaughter Shamay(Shawn) Pattison with great granchildren Sophia, Shaelyn and Sabella, grandson Derry Kintzler and great grandchildren Bryan and Daeden, granddaughter Andrea(Andrew) Fritz and great grandchildren Darian, Gabriel and Mia, granddaughter Lanaie(Daniel) Goodwin and great grandchildren Benito, Vincent and Demetrio Vietti, and grandson Adrian Cook. Her special neice Eleanor Rodarte as well as several more nieces and nephews from both sides of the family.
On line condolences may be made at TheDavisFuneralHome.com
Services under the direction of Davis Funeral Home. Crematory and Monuments.
Helen was born on March 24th 1936 to Valentin and Leonarda Rodarte in Gascon, New Mexico. The family later moved to Riverton, Wyoming which is where she met her loving husband Emilio. They were married July 22nd, 1959 and enjoyed 62 years of companionship and love. Together they had 3 daughters, Elaine Marie, Deborah Hope and Ramona Emilia. Helen always had an open door for her family and friends to come over to spend time and be loved but above all else, to be fed. She was a wonderful cook who had something cooking everyday and made sure anyone who came to her home would not leave hungry.
Her kindness didn't stop at a single meal though as several members of the family ended up living in the home she created. She cared for her father, Valentin, in the home several years after her mother's death; niece Eleanor Rodarte was like a daughter to her and lived with the family for a time. Helen was very respected and looked up to by her neices and nephews for how much she cared for them like her own children.
As a grandmother she was very involved in the lives of her grandchildren doing her best to help them flourish as they grew up. She was supportive of their activities and made sure they knew she loved them. Shopping with her granddaughters was one of her favorite things to do. She also went on fishing trips with the family along with her brother Ben.
Helen worked at Riverton Memorial Hospital for 35 years starting as a house keeper and ending her career as an accomplished respiratory therapist. During this time she also rode the ambulance and helped save many lives. Helen was bilingual, a skill she used while at the hospital to interpret for patients, she also interpreted for the police and on occasion during court hearings. It was a rare occurance if she didn't see someone she had connected with from the hospital out around town. People would always come up to chat with her when she was shopping with family and it was a trademark of shopping with Grandma.
Helen was the epitome of a helping soul. This was evidenced by her work at the hospital, Wyoming Senior Center and an orthopedic doctors office. Even when she was admitted to the nursing home she tried to assist the other residents until staff told her she wasn't allowed to do so.
She was not all work and no play though, taking pleasure in leisure activities like camping, fishing, playing cards with her family, going to the casino, riding her motorcycle, sewing, reading, playing pool and dancing. She had a great sense of humor.
Helen was preceeded in death by her daughter Deborah Funke and her loving husband Emilio Vigil. Her father Valentin and mother Leonarda Rodarte, her siblings, Beatrice Martinez, Mike Rodarte and Benito Rodarte. Her nieces Donna Martinez Elder, Theresa Torres and Susan Harless.
She is survived by daughters Marie Vigil and Ramona Vigil-Cook, granddaughter Shamay(Shawn) Pattison with great granchildren Sophia, Shaelyn and Sabella, grandson Derry Kintzler and great grandchildren Bryan and Daeden, granddaughter Andrea(Andrew) Fritz and great grandchildren Darian, Gabriel and Mia, granddaughter Lanaie(Daniel) Goodwin and great grandchildren Benito, Vincent and Demetrio Vietti, and grandson Adrian Cook. Her special neice Eleanor Rodarte as well as several more nieces and nephews from both sides of the family.
On line condolences may be made at TheDavisFuneralHome.com
Services under the direction of Davis Funeral Home. Crematory and Monuments.