Obituary of Helen Galate

Helen "Kris" Galate, 95 Helen "Kris" Galate, (nee Krenzel ),95, of West Orange passed away Sunday December 6, 2015 of natural causes. She was 95 years old. Visiting will be held on Thursday December 10, 2015 at The Dangler Funeral Home of West Orange, 340 Main Street West Orange, from 4 to 8 PM. A Funeral Mass will be offered on Friday, December 11, 2015 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 1 Eagle Rock Ave., West Orange at 9:30 AM. Interment will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 225 Ridgedale Ave. in East Hanover. Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Krenzel, she was born in St. Louis Mo. the youngest of four sisters. After high school where she was elected Homecoming Queen and sang with her sisters on radio, she attended St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing graduating as an RN. She continued at St. Louis University yet left when the Army had a need for nurses. In 1942, Kris was a 2nd Lt. in the Army Nurse Corps traveling throughout the South Pacific carrying and caring for wounded troops. Among her awards was a Commendation from the Commandant of the transport "Willard A. Holbrook." She was awarded the Asiatic and Pacific Theater Ribbon. While based in New Caledonia she met Army Air Corps Captain Daniel J. Galate also stationed there. They were married on the island with a family witness, Dan's Uncle Ben, flown in from his station at a neighboring island. Kris separated from the service in 1944 and went home to St. Louis where she had the first of 17 children. Her husband followed after the war in the Pacific ended. They moved to West Orange where Kris and Dan became active in Our Lady of Lourdes parish. She has remained a member of the Rosary Altar Society. She was active with the Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts and assisted the nurse at Our Lady of Lourdes School. Kris and her husband were elected and served as Essex County Republican Committee Chairpersons for many years. Kris had an active role in the parent association of Seton Hall Prep and Mount St. Dominic Academy, attended by her eight daughters She leaves her husband Dan, having celebrated 70 years of marriage last April, her sister-in-law Mrs. Genevieve Beninati, her 17 children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, Linda Sue Galate Ph.D., Daniel and Bernadine Galate Jr. and grand daughter Julia, Cynthia Galate and grand daughter Tippy and David Neff and great grandsons Jason and Thomas, Aleta Elliott, Damien Galate, Darius Galate, Gina Galate, Dean Galate, Carla and Steve Hartwyk and grandchildren Ashley, Gabrielle, Andrew, Elissa DiPano and grand daughter Kristina, Marita and Eddie Vanderhoof and grandson Jake Zahn, Dwight Galate, Duane and Marie Galate, Dorian and Renee Galate, Douglas and Vanessa Galate and grandsons Douglas and Daniel, David Galate Juanita Galate and Peter Goodman and numerous cousins of the Ponichtera family.