Helene Sturtz

STURTZ BOHME KERN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 11/9/2010 at 21:56:37

Sioux City Journal
22 May 2010

SIOUX CITY -- Helene Sturtz, 79, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, formerly of Sioux City, died Sunday, May 9, 2010, at the Mercy Hospital, Cedar Rapids following a brief illness.

Memorial services will be 11 a.m. today at St. James United Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids, with the Rev. Beth Straw officiating. A gathering will be 9 a.m. until service time today at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home in Cedar Rapids. Online condolences may be left at cedarmemorial.com under obituaries.

Helene F. Kern was born May 20, 1930, in Sioux City, the daughter of Robert and Marie (Bohme) Kern.

On Feb. 12, 1950, she married James B. Sturtz in Elk Point, S.D. They later divorced. Helene raised five children on her own while attending Mount Mercy College, where she received her bachelor of arts degree in education in 1974. Helene worked for the Cedar Rapids Public School System with at-risk children and then worked for the Cedar Rapids Gazette for 15 years until retirement.

She was a member of St. James United Methodist Church, was a water safety instructor for the Cedar Rapids YMCA and for the Cedar Rapids Municipal Pools especially Ellis Park Pool. Her hobbies included gardening, reading and music. Helene was known and loved as Mom to many and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Survivors include her children, William (Fancha) Sturtz of Rochester, N.Y., Robert (Jane) Sturtz of Winnebago, Minn., Dean (Kristie) Sturtz of Swisher, Iowa, DeWayne Sturtz of Marion, Iowa, and Diane (Gary) Arp of Cedar Rapids; brother, Alfred (Phyllis) Kern of Reno, Nev.; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; former spouse, James Sturtz in 1973; and a sister, Rosalie Gandy.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given in her name to the Alzheimer's Association.