Helen (Radakovich) Riser (2005)
BENZ, BOSS, BREEN, DAVIS, DUNN, GALOVICH, JOHNSON, KNUDSEN, MULLIN, RADAKOVICH, RIBERICH, RISER, ROSS
Posted By: Mary Welty Hart
Date: 7/8/2006 at 13:09:40
Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, September 21, 2005HELEN RISER, Tennessee
Helen (Radakovich) Riser died at the home of her daughter, Judy Mullin, in Franklin, Tenn., on Sept. 10, 2005, after a recent illness, surrounded with loving care by Judy’s family. She was 92 years old.
Helen was born Nov. 16, 1912, in Earlham, Iowa, to Pera “Pauline” (Riberich) and Trivun “Mike” Radakovich, who had immigrated to America from Serbia in 1906. They lived on a farm south of Earlham. She was one of 13 children, in addition to having two half brothers in Serbia and a half sister in Wyoming.
Helen attended school in Earlham, graduating from Earlham High School in 1932, where she participated in girl reserves, girls’ chorus, cheerleading, tennis, and girls’ basketball, of which she was captain and played varsity forward for four years. Once her basketball team won a game, 2-0, and she scored both points.
Helen attended the Earlham Presbyterian Church and Sunday School and was president of the Sunday School following high school graduation. She and her sister, Mary, often sang at church and for funerals. She was baptized in the Serbian Orthodox faith.
After graduation, Helen was a teacher in several rural country schools in Penn and Madison townships near Earlham, teaching grades 1-8 for two years.
On June 1, 1935, Helen married Wilbur Thomas Riser, and they farmed five miles south of Earlham in the Worthington neighborhood. In 1943, they bought and lived on the first farm north of Winterset, Iowa, on Hwy. 169. Ochiltree Funeral Service resides on land of this farm.
Helen and Wilbur sold their farm in 1975 and moved to Winterset to 501 W. Court Avenue, where they had beautiful flower gardens in their backyard.
Helen was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Winterset since 1952, where she served faithfully in a number of capacities. She was a longtime member of the Winterset Woman’s Club, where she was president for two years. She also was a member of the Good Neighbor Club. While a member of the Winterset High School Band Mother’s Club, she was chairman of the drive to purchase new uniforms. She was also a girls’ 4-H leader in Union Township, Madison County.
Helen worked at the Ben Franklin Store for 17 years.
Helen liked cooking, writing poetry, music, fishing, traveling, and playing cards, especially Skip Bo with her friends and Pitch with her dear friends, the Hickmans, when they often had potluck suppers together.
Helen was loyal and devoted to her family and friends. She was very patriotic and loved America.
Helen was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; three sisters, Mildred (Radakovich) Johnson, Mary (Radakovich) Benz, and Sophie (Radakovich) Dragovich Ross; five brothers, Milosh “Mike” Radakovich, Fred Radakovich, and infants Jova “Joe”, Stevo “Steve” and Marko “Mark Radakovich; two half brothers in Serbia; and a half sister, Boja “Bessie” (Radakovich) Galovich. She also was preceded in death by three infant grandsons, Stephan and Andrew Knudsen (twins) and Jeffery Knudsen.
Helen is survived by two brothers, George Radakovich and wife, Jessie, of Winterset and Nick Radakovich of Indianola, Iowa; and two sisters, Dorothy Davis of San Jose, Calif., and Anna Breen of Cottage Grove, Ore. She also is survived by two daughters and their husbands, Jo Ann “Jody” and John Knudsen of Estes Park, Colo., and Judy and Ried Mullin of Franklin, Tenn.
Helen has four grandchildre: Dr. Michael and Dr. Nancy Knudsen of Raleigh, N.C., Eric and Cathy Knudsen of Leawood, Kan., Chad and Leslie Mullin of Franklin, Tenn., and Kim Mullin and friend, Greg Boss, of Nashville, Tenn.
Helen is survived by 10 great-grandchildren: Spencer, Ellie and Wolt Knudsen; Haley, Tate and Mac Knudsen; Bradleigh and Blaise Dunn; and Ripley and Paine Mullin.
Helen is survived by her brothers-in-law, Dr. Wayne H. Riser and wife, Mary Alice, of West Grove, Pa., and Howard Benz and wife, Dorothy, of Earlham; sister-in-law, Charlotte Radakovich of Pittsfield, Mass.; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews and great-great-nieces and great-great-nephews.
Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, September 16, 2005, at the First United Methodist Church in Winterset. Burial was in the Earlham Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the First United Methodist Church of Winterset.
Ochiltree Funeral Service & Aftercare was in charge of arrangements
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