Helen K. (Henderson) Gruver - 1901-1987

HENDERSON, SPAHR, GRUVER, PALMER, FREIER, ROGGENSACK, PETTY, MOYLE

Posted By: Connie Ellis (email)
Date: 1/11/2011 at 16:04:52

SOURCE: Waukon, Iowa WAUKON REPUBLICAN-STANDARD, November 3, 1987
Contributor: Connie Ellis (Not related)

Funeral services were held Sunday, November 1 for Helen K. Gruver, age 86, of Waukon, Iowa who died Thursday, October 29, 1987 at Veterans Memorial Hospital. The 2 p.m. services were held at First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Larry Olson officiating. Burial was in Oakland Cemetery with Martin Funeral Home in charge of arrangements. Casket bearers were Mark, Greg, Bruce, Charles, and Joe Palmer, and Todd Cahoon.

Helen was born April 8, 1901 in Hawkeye, Iowa to Bert and Emma (Spahr) Henderson. She attended Clermont High School, Iowa State Teachers College (now UNI) in Cedar Falls,Upper Iowa College in Fayette and Luther College in Decorah. On November 25, 1920 she married Clarence Gruver. They lived in rural Clermont where they farmed.They had no children. In 1931 they moved to rural Waukon to continue farming. Clarence died January 22, 1966. Helen moved into Waukon in 1984.

At the age of 80, she retired from the teaching profession. She taught schools in rural Allamakee County, Waterville, and Waukon as an English and reading teacher. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church and the United Presbyterian Women, Order of Eastern Star where she was an officer, and the Retired Teachers association of Allamakee County.

Helen loved to travel going to Cuba, Africa, Greece, Japan, Yugoslavia, Australia, the Holy Land and other places. She gave talks and film presentations of her trips to clubs and groups. She enjoyed helping individuals get ready for speeches or debates. She made tape recording readings for the blind. She also helped teach the English language to immigrant families in the 1960's and 70's. During the depression she and Clarence helped by taking in several different families.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by a brother Roger Henderson and a sister Dorothy.

Surviving are four sisters, Cora Palmer of Waukon, Iowa, Ruby Freier of Hawkeye, Iowa, Charlotte Roggensack of Lancaster, Wisconsin, and Joyce Petty of Eldora, Iowa; a brother, James Henderson of Clermont, Iowa, and many nieces and nephews.

Note of the transcriber: Mrs. Gruver was my teacher for four years at Waterville, Iowa. She was an excellent English teacher, teaching the rules and mechanics of the English language. Her students knew how to diagram a sentence! She also taught reading as more than just words on a page. When she read a story or poetry, the words came alive so that reading was fun. She was the best!

--
In the obituary, it lists that she was preceded in death by her sister Dorothy. A brief mention of Dorothy's death was in the Waukon,newspaper in a December 1986 issue:

Dorothy M. (Henderson) Moyle of Eagle River, Wisconsin died Friday, December 19, 1986 after an illness of several weeks. Dorothy was born May 15, 1911 in Clermont, Iowa. She was a resident of Waukon, Iowa in 1943-44, and a sister of Cora Palmer and Helen Gruver. She is survived by her husband, William, 4 grandchildren, 5 sisters, a brother, nieces and nephews.