Christiansen, Helen L. (1924-2015)
CHRISTIANSEN, VAN RYSWYK, VAN HERMERT, YOST, HILLEBRAND, BEACH, WITT, ZANTINGH
Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 12/18/2015 at 10:19:01
Helen Christiansen
April 12, 1924 - November 21, 2015Helen L. Christiansen, age 91, of Newell, Iowa, died on November 21, 2015, in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Helen Louise (Van Ryswyk) Christiansen was born on April 12, 1924, in Jasper County, Iowa, to Peter and Nellie Van Ryswyk.
After graduating from Monroe High School, Helen attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. Then, she moved to Des Moines, Iowa, where she did secretarial work for Luthe Hardware for a number of years.
Helen met and subsequently married Milo N. Christiansen, at Grandview Park Baptist Church in Des Moines on August 8, 1952. They were married for forty eight years at the time of Milo’s death in 2000. After their wedding, Helen and Milo worked in Des Moines for several years before moving back to the family farm in Newell, Iowa, where they raised their family and became active members of Bethel Baptist Church.
After Helen and Milo retired from the farm, Helen worked at the Orange Tree Travel Agency as a travel agent and at the Newell Public Library as the head librarian.
Helen will always be remembered for her sweet, gracious spirit which was evident to all who met and knew her. She had a gift for music, playing the piano and organ and singing to the delight of many through the years in the Des Moines and Newell areas.
In 2012, Helen moved to Waterloo, Iowa, to live with her daughter, Sharon, and most recently to Bickford Cottage of Cedar Falls, Iowa, where she remained until the time of her death.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Milo; and her sister, Dorothy Van Hermert.
Helen was loved and will, greatly, be missed by her children: Sharon (Arlen) Yost, of Waterloo, Iowa, Dale (Diana) Christiansen, of Newell, Iowa, and Carol (Mark) Hillebrand, of Clear Lake, Iowa; seven grandchildren: Allison (Nate) Beach, of Waterloo, Iowa, Cassie Yost, of Cedar Falls, Iowa, Jon (Audrey) Yost, of Buckeye, Iowa, Carl Christiansen (fiancée, Shaylee Olhausen), of Ankeny, Iowa, Ruth (Ryan) Witt, of Reedsburg, Wisconsin; Brad (Brooke) Hillebrand, of Grundy Center, Iowa, and Kelsey (Brady) Zantingh, of Ankeny, Iowa; five great grandchildren: Gabe and Liam Beach, Vanessa Yost, Mickey Hillebrand, and Brett Zantingh; and her always devoted brothers: John (Kay) Van Ryswyk, of Monroe, Iowa, and Carl (Shirley) Van Ryswyk, of Austin, Texas.
Memorial services will take place Wednesday, November 25, 2015, at 11:00 a.m. at Bethel Baptist Church in Newell. Burial will be Wednesday, November 25, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. in the Newell Cemetery. Visitation will take place Tuesday, November 24, 2015, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements.
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