Helen Maxine (Pagel) Rixen 1922-2006

HARMS, PAGEL, RIXEN, KING

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 9/12/2006 at 16:35:40

Helen Rixen

Helen M. Rixen, 84, of Waukon, Iowa, died Saturday, August 5, 2006, at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Funeral services were held Tuesday, August 8, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Waukon with Rev. Lynn G. Groe officiating. Burial was in Oakland Cemetery, Waukon. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon was in charge of arrangements.

Helen Maxine was born March 5, 1922, in Sumner, Iowa, the daughter of William and Louise (Harms) Pagel. She was baptized and confirmed at St. John's Lutheran Church in Sumner. Helen graduated from Sumner High School in 1939 and then attended business school in Milwaukee where she lived with her sister and brother-in-law, Lucille and Bill King. She stayed in Milwaukee and worked as a secretary for Allis Chalmers for several years before moving back to Sumner where she worked for a bank.

June 26, 1948, she married Walter "Red" Rixen at St. John's Lutheran Church in Sumner. They moved to Waukon in the fall of 1949 where Helen worked as a legal secretary for Arthur Sheridan and Red taught and coached. While in Waukon their son Jim was born and Helen stayed busy not only as a mother, but as an active member of St. John's Lutheran Church, VOV Study Club, and a neighborhood club of very close friends. They moved to Cedar Falls in 1963 and Helen worked at Malcolm Price Laboratory School. After a short stay in Cedar Falls, they moved to St. Ansgar for a few years before settling in Grinnell in 1969. While there, Helen worked for many years at Poweshiek County National Bank. She was very active at St. John's Lutheran Church in Grinnell and in a post-retirement group called "Autumn Leaves". Helen also volunteered her time at the Grinnell Regional Medical Center and was active in Poweshiek County Democratic Party events. After suffering a stroke in 2002, Helen and Red moved back to Waukon where she has been a resident of Good Samaritan Center.

Helen was an avid bridge player all her life. She enjoyed working crossword puzzles, reading, music, and liked to go dancing. She was a very social person and since her jobs put her in contact with a lot of people, she made many, many long lasting friendships in all of the places she lived. Her family was her greatest love. She was a loyal supporter of Red's coaching career and never missed any of her son Jim's activities. She dearly loved her grandchildren and in spite of having to travel some distance, was involved in many of their special events.

Survivors include her husband Red and son Jim and his wife Debbie, all of Waukon; and three grandchildren, Jonathan Michael Rixen and wife Jenny of St. Paul, Minn., Jordan James Rixen and wife Erin of Iowa City, and Molly Helene Rixen of Waukon.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Lucille (Bill) King; and a nephew, Bill King.

Her grandchildren and their spouses will serve as casketbearers.

Waukon Standard, August 9, 2006