Kemper, Helen V. (1909-2011)
KEMPER, PETERSON, WALKER, DUMKREIGER, KOCH, SPECKETER, LINKE, STEVENS, NIEHAUS, BAXTER
Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 11/19/2011 at 19:25:29
Helen V. Kemper
September 9, 1909 - November 13, 2011Friday, November 18, 2011
Helen V. Kemper, age 102, of Alta, passed away on Sunday, November 13, 2011, at the North Lake Manor of Storm Lake.
Helen Vivian (Peterson) Kemper was born on September 9, 1909, in Elk Township to Christian and Jennie Peterson. At the age of six months, her parents moved to a farm six miles north of Linn Grove, and she subsequently graduated from Linn Grove School in 1928.
On Aug. 19, 1930, Helen married Everette Walker, and they made their home in Alta. To this union, one child was born, Chloe Marie. Helen enjoyed being a homemaker, crocheting, sewing, gardening, quilting and doing artwork. She was a Sunday school teacher at the Methodist church in Alta and belonged to the Nokomis study group. In 1950, her husband Everette passed away. She then went to work at The Tiny Tot Shop in Storm Lake.
In January of 1956, Helen married Van Kemper and relocated to Champaign, Illinois, because of Van’s job with the railroad. There, she took a job in the spring of 1956 with Robeson's Department store where worked until she retired in 1978.
Helen and Van took many enjoyable trips during their retirement. In 1989, they moved back to Alta to be closer to family. In November of 1990, Van passed away, and Helen remained in their home until the age of 94. In 2004, she moved to Buena Vista Manor in Storm Lake, Iowa, and lived her remaining years there.
Helen was preceded in death by her parents; a baby brother; her husbands, Everette and Van; her sisters, Gene (LeRoy) Dumkrieger and Evelyne (Herb) Koch; her brothers, Emmet (Dorothy) and Kenneth (Mildred) Peterson; her son-in-law, Dwaine Specketer; and a great-great-grandson, Zailin Linke.
Those left to mourn her passing include her daughter, Chloe Specketer; her grandchildren, Darcy Stevens, Diana (Chris) Niehaus, Donna (Stephan) Baxter, and David Specketer; her great grandchildren, Jennifer, Heather, and Kayla Stevens, Elizabeth, Andrew, Kathryn, and Kimberly Niehaus, Jahred, Sarah, Jacob, and Joshua Baxter, and Darin Specketer; five great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
She will also be greatly missed by her family and staff at North Lake Manor.
A funeral service was held on Thursday, November 17, 2011, at the Nicklas D. Jensen Funeral Home of Alta with the Rev. Dr. Matthew Miller officiating. Burial was at the Scandinavian Cemetery of Alta. The Nicklas D. Jensen Funeral Home of Alta was in charge of the arrangements.
© Copyright 2011, Storm Lake Pilot Tribune
Storm Lake Pilot Tribune
Buena Vista Obituaries maintained by LaVern Velau.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen