Helen Mae (Gardiner) Arnold

Helen Mae Gardiner Arnold was born April 10, 1933 in Ashland, KS the second of two children to Ralph and Muriel Gardiner. She passed from this Earth on October 24, 2019 at the age of 86 yrs, 6 mo and 14 days. After graduating from Ashland High School, she attended Kansas State for two years before returning to Ashland. She and Philip Arnold were married on November 27, 1953, a union that lasted 37 years and was blessed with four children. She was always there to tie a shoe, wipe a nose, sew a Scout patch, give a haircut or do whatever was needed. She supported her kids in all their many activities. She took great pride in her children and grandchildren while downplaying her own significant contributions to their accomplishments and successes. Growing up on her parents’ family farm and ranch, she learned early and well the value of hard work and perseverance. She never forgot those lessons and always worked to instill those qualities in her children. She had a life-long love of animals and especially inherited her love of horses from her father, Ralph. In addition to breeding many champion Paint and Quarter Horses, she raised cattle, Welsh corgis, llamas, burros, guinea hens, cats and goats. Never one to sit and watch, she preferred to be riding and working outside. When there was cattle work to do, she would often go horseback all morning before returning to the house to fix lunch for the crew. Raising four kids, keeping house, breeding mares, and attending uncounted school activities, games, and concerts, she was always busy. But she found time to maintain lifelong friendships, play championship golf and develop her artistic crafts. She was an active member of many organizations including the American Paint Horse Association, American Quarter Horse Association, United Presbyterian Women, Ashland United Methodist Church, and Clark County Soil Conservation Board. She gave of her time to mow and maintain the church grounds, teach 4-H youth programs, and serve on volunteer governing boards. Helen was a talented artist who learned custom leather tooling and saddle restoration. In her later years she became an expert scroll saw artist and spent many happy hours in her woodshop sawing away. She said it was something she never got tired of. A series of injuries left her with bad knees and arthritic joints. She never let it stop her and continued caring for her animals and doing her many projects long past when others would have retired to the easy chair. Her declining health robbed her of much, but her enduring spirit still came through even at the last. Helen was a complex, multi-talented person. Strong, hard-working, fiercely independent, and stubborn, she was also a loving mother, loyal to her many friends, and generous with her time. She treasured time with visiting grandchildren and was always ready to fire up the four-wheeler or saddle a horse. Preceded in death by parents Ralph and Muriel Gardiner, brother Henry Gardiner and granddaughter Jessica; she is survived by children James (Cecilia), Jerry (Judy), Vicki (Carter) Mathews, and David; grandchildren Erin (Vince) Accurso, Trey (Christina) Mathews, Matt (Teika), Reid Mathews, Alex and Eric; great-grandchildren Francesca Accurso and Ashlyn Mathews; extended family and many close friends. Helen will be missed by us all. But she will live on in her family and will be remembered whenever colts are born and the grass greens up in the spring.