STONER, Helen E. (1909-1996)

REINHOLDT, MADSEN, STONER

Posted By: DiAnn Reindl (email)
Date: 2/19/2008 at 20:22:14

Helen Evonne Stoner, the only daughter of Rasmus Jensen and Antonia (Madsen) Reinholdt was born March 15, 1909 in the house which was her present home in Britt. After graduating from Britt High School in 1926, she attended Iowa State Teacher's College in Cedar Falls with an emphasis in Kindergarten Education and then took additional courses at Drake University in Des Moines and Colorado University at Boulder, Colorado. She taught in Eddyville for two years and in Marshalltown for 16 years. While in Marshaltown she was active in the Junior Business Women, YMCA and the community theater. In 1946, she returned to Britt to live with her widowed mother and to teach in the Britt Community Schools. While teaching in Britt, she was on the committee to draw up a Constitution and by-laws for the Britt Education Association and was its first President. On August 18, 1959, she was married to Dr. Lyle A. Stoner in the Presbyterian Chapel at Bemidji, Minnesota. They lived in Britt where he practiced his medical profession.

Helen's interests aside from her teaching, included her home, flower gardening and all kinds of needlework. She knitted her first sweater for the Red Cross during W.W.I, before her ninth birthday. She was interested in history, especially the history of Britt; her grandparents having related it to her as a child. She was the granddaughter of the P.H. Madsens, who came to Britt in 1876, with their family. Helen had been to Denmark twice, to visit cousins and to work on the genealogy of her family.

She was a baptized member of the Congregational United Church of Christ where as a teenager, she played the piano for Sunday School and sang in the choir. Upon her return to Britt, she was a member of the Unity Class and Women's Fellowship, of which she was treasurer for several years. In 1984, she was inducted into the University of Northern Iowa foundation's "Presidents Club & The Order of The Chimes," in recognition of the support she had given her alma mater.

She is survived by her sister-in-law, Mrs. John (Arlene) Stoner; a niece, three nephews and their children and numerous cousins (Reinholdt and Madsen), both in this country and in Denmark.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Lyle A. Stoner, June 8, 1976; her father, Rasmus J. Reinholdt, March 23, 1943 and her mother, Antonia C. Reinholdt, June 19, 1963.

Helen passed away January 31, 1996 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Britt, Iowa.

Funeral Card from family collection.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Additional information from Mason City Globe Gazette newspaper notice published 2 Feb 1996:

Helen Stoner

Britt: Helen Stoner, 86, of Britt, died Wednesday (Jan 31, 1996) at Hancock County Memorial Hospital.

Funeral services will be held at the Congregational United Church of Christ with the Rev. Harlan Stenberg as officiant. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel.