MANSFIELD, Helen E.

MANSFIELD, VAUGHN, BLAKENFELD, IRELAND, NEIFFER, GAGNON, SCHMIDT, FLEWELLING, REINERT, GROSS, BLANKENFELD, BALLARD

Posted By: Lynette Edsall (email)
Date: 5/1/2008 at 15:46:25

Helen E. Mansfield, 97, of Marcus passed away Wednesday, April 23, 2008, at Floyd Valley Hospital in Le Mars, Iowa.

Services will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Grace United Methodist Church in Marcus, with the Rev. Gary McDonough officiating. Private family graveside services will be at a later date in Marcus Amherst Cemetery. Visitation will be after 2 p.m. today, with the family present 6 to 8 p.m. and a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Earnest-Johnson Funeral Home in Marcus. Visitation will resume one hour prior to the service Saturday at the church. Condolences may be sent online to www.mauerjohnsonfh.com.

Helen Ella Mansfield was born June 12, 1910, near Niobrara, Neb., the daughter of Henry and Ella (Vaughn) Blankenfeld. She was raised in the Bloomfield/Niobrara area, where she graduated from high school. She later attended two years of normal training in Kearney, Neb.

On Dec. 25, 1929, she and Dale Larson Mansfield were united in marriage at her parent's home in rural Bloomfield, Neb. The couple made their home in a log home in rural Bennett County, S.D., where they farmed. In 1946, the family moved to Calumet, Iowa, and lived there one year prior to moving to a farm southwest of Cherokee, Iowa. The couple moved to Marcus in 1969. She worked at the Hilltop Nursing Home in Cherokee for a year, then worked with home health care in Marcus. Along with home health care, she cared for her mother at her home for several years. Dale passed away in 1991.

She was a member of Grace United Methodist Church. She enjoyed reading, was an avid gardener and a nursing home pen pal. She worked hard on the farm and knew all of her dairy cattle by name.

She will be lovingly remembered by her children, Jean Ireland of Hot Springs, S.D., James Dale (Fayola) Mansfield of Kadoka, S.D., Audrey E. Neiffer of Phillip, S.D., Harry F. (Anita) Mansfield of Pierson, Iowa, Virginia M. (Tom) Gagnon of Salt Lake City, Utah, Betty J. (Darwin) Schmidt of Early, Iowa, Linda L. (Ray) Flewelling of Cherokee, Iowa, Gail L. Reinert of Sioux City, Richard A. (Linda) Mansfield of Sioux City and Judith A. (Edward) Gross of Meriden, Iowa; a daughter-in-law, Alice Mansfield of Pocahontas, Iowa; 40 grandchildren; 90 great-grandchildren; 31 great-great-grandchildren; special family friends, Peter (Bonnie) Blankenfeld of Waterloo, Iowa, and Chris Ballard of Marcus; and all other lifelong friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Dale; an infant son, Paul; a son, Keith; brothers, Floyd and Clyde; and sons-in-law, Wayne Ireland and Roger Neiffer.

Memorials may be directed to Grace United Methodist Church in Marcus or Floyd Valley Hospital in Le Mars, Iowa.