Helen Ann Lynch

LYNCH, CARDER, VESTAL, GOEDKEN, NETTNIN, FOX, VICTORINE, FOTH

Posted By: Tara (email)
Date: 1/10/2011 at 15:08:21

Helen Ann Lynch, 75, of Coralville died Friday, Jan. 7, 2011, at Mercy Hospital due to complications from pneumonia. She was surrounded by all of her children.

Funeral Services will be held Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011, at 10 a.m. at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 3000 12th Ave. Coralville. Visitation will be held Monday from 3-8 p.m. at Lensing Funeral Home, 605 Kirkwood Avenue, Iowa City. The Rosary will be recited at 2:45 p.m., and a vigil will be held at 7:30 p.m.

Helen was born on Feb. 12, 1935, in Riceville, Iowa. In her childhood years, she spent many happy hours on the family farm, enjoying the countryside and playing with her dog, Laddie. When her family sold the farm, they moved to West Liberty where Helen graduated from West Liberty High School in 1953. She was united in marriage with James C. Lynch on Feb. 5, 1955. The marriage brought them five children. Helen’s youthful exuberance and sense of humor set the tone for the Lynch household.
Helen’s main love was her family. She often said that the happiest days of her life were when all her children were little and chaos reigned supreme at their house on Bowery Street. Still, she took great pride in tidiness, and if cleanliness is next to Godliness, then God resided in Helen’s home.
Her natural love of children was perpetuated by the next generation of ten grandchildren who brought her delight beyond measure.
Her faith was an everyday part of her life which not only sustained her but gave her great joy. Helen’s faith in God also carried over to her faith in people; she had an uncanny ability to develop a unique relationship with every single person she met and seemed to bring out the best in each and every one of them.
She was a huge sports fan, rooting on her favorite teams—the Iowa Hawkeyes, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Cubs, and more recently the L.A. Lakers.
Her Irish heritage was a constant source of pride, and her beautiful, blue Irish eyes were always smiling. She relished the trip she took to the Emerald Isle with her youngest daughter, and she never let a St. Patrick’s Day pass without a celebration.
Helen had many other great passions. Hours could pass without notice when she was working in her garden or reading a good book. She also truly enjoyed time spent with dear friends, including her Red Hatter gang. And how a woman who grew up on a small farm in Iowa developed an obsession with penguins is still a mystery to her family. She was truly full of surprises.

Besides working tirelessly raising her children, Helen worked at Kmart for 26 years and more recently at Coralville Central Elementary in Food Service where she made deep and lasting relationships with both the staff and the children.

Helen is survived by her five children, Connie (Dan) Carder of Coralville, Brenda (Allan) Vestal of Urbandale, Jammie (Tom) Goedken of Solon, Jim (Jill) Lynch of Coralville, and Dawn (Fred) Nettnin of Chicago, 10 grandchildren, Michael (Cassie) Goedken, Mac Goedken, Brittany Carder, James Vestal, Kelsey Carder, Eleanor Vestal, Andie Lynch, Ella Nettnin, Claire Lynch, and Irene Nettnin, as well as many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 48 years, James C. Lynch, her parents, Chauncey and Adeline Fox, her brother, Don Fox, and her sisters, Mary Victorine and Darlene Foth.

The family would like to sincerely thank all the kind and dedicated staff at Mercy Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit for the remarkable care they provided to our mother and the support they offered to us.
Donations on behalf of Helen can be made to one of two organizations close to her heart: Children’s International or Habitat for Humanity.

Helen will be dearly missed by family and friends alike. For those who loved her, she will forever live in their hearts.