TONNESEN, Helen R. 1913-1978

TONNESEN, TACKENBERG, ARMSTRONG

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 11/8/2019 at 19:45:04

Helen Tonnesen, Dike Reporter 19 Years, Dead

Helen R. Tonnesen, 65, the Dike news correspondent for the Grundy Register for 19 years, died at 11 p.m. Saturday at Sartori Hospital in Cedar Falls following a brief illness.

Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Dike Methodist Church with the Rev. James Hanke officiating.

Interment was in Elmwood cemetery.

Musical interludes during the service, "The Old Rugged Cross" and "How Great Thou Art" were played by Mrs. John Paige, who also played selected numbers for the prelude and postlude.

Casket bearers were John Paige, Laurence Koch, Vernon Cordes, Jack Heritage, Donald Rittgers and D. E. Cathcart.

The ushers were John Mulder and Edgar Abels. Mrs. Lawrence Mark and Mrs. D. E. Cathcart were in charge of floral arrangements.

Helen was born October 6, 1913, in Kansas City, Mo., the daughter of Wesley and Lena Armstrong Tackenberg.

She was graduated from Cedar Falls high school in 1931.

On March 14, 1937, she was united in marriage to George Tonnesen. They moved to Dike in 1938

She was editor of the Dike Register and news correspondent for The Grundy Register from 1959 until her retirement in October. She also was a correspondent for the Waterloo Courier.

Helen was a member of the Dike Methodist Church, Rebekah's and Danish Sisterhood. She was also a member and past president of the Iowa Blacksmith & Welders Association Auxiliary.

Survivors include her husband; one son, Larry, of Linden, Iowa; a sister, Elizabeth, Mrs. Robert Bast of Cedar Falls; two brothers, LeRoy Tackenberg of Waterloo and William Tackenberg of Cedar Rapids; and one granddaughter, Susan.

She was preceded in death by her parents and one brother.

A memorial fund has been established.

Dike Funeral Chapel was in charge of arrangements.

The Register joins the community in extending sincere condolences to George and the other members of Helen's family. She will be greatly missed by all of us.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 28 December 1978, pg 11