Helen (Brown) BELL GUENTHER

GUENTHER, BROWN, BELL, MICHAELS, GAULT, SHAW, THEULEN, STOUT, HILDEBRAND

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 10/5/2010 at 12:37:51

November 30, 1906 -- October 14, 2001

WASHINGTON, Iowa - Helen Brown Bell Guenther, 94, of 1024 South Ave. B, died Sunday (Oct. 14, 2001) at the Halcyon House. Her funeral will be held at 2 p.m. today at the United Methodist Church in Washington, with the Rev. Robert Bell and the Rev. Donald Hodson officiating. Interment will be in Elm Grove Cemetery in Washington. Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the United Methodist Church in Britt with the Rev. Robert Dodge officiating. Visitation was held on Monday at the Jones Eden Funeral Home, 116 E. Main in Washington. Memorial contributions may be given to the Britt and Washington United Methodist Churches in her memory.

Helen was born on Nov. 30, 1906, the daughter of George Washington Brown and Minnie Michaels Brown in Washington. Helen attended Gray Country School and graduated from Washington High School. She received her bachelor of arts degree from the University of Iowa in 1928. She taught English in Gibson, Iowa, and was appointed as school principal. She later taught at Norway, Iowa. She was united in marriage with the Rev. R. Maynard Bell on Sept. 1, 1932. Together they served churches in Elma, Riceville, Gladbrook, Springville, Rudd and Britt, Iowa.

Following Maynard's unexpected death, Helen began working as high school librarian in the North Scott school district. She attended graduate school at the University of Iowa and received her master's degree in library science. She moved to Charles City and worked as high school librarian. On Sept. 14, 1968, she was married to Gilbert H. Guenther, of Britt. Together they were able to travel to every state in the U.S. They both took great interest in the youth of the Britt community and were given special recognition for their community interest. Helen was a member of the United Methodist Church in Britt, the United Methodist Women and a 75-year member of Eastern Star.

Helen is survived by a son, the Rev. Robert Bell and his wife, Margaret, who is also her stepdaughter, of Washington; stepdaughter, Jeanette Gault and her husband, Jerry, of Spicer, Minn.; stepson, George Guenther and his wife, Janice, of Corwith; and stepson, Eugene Guenther and his wife, Julie, of Britt; a brother-in-law, Dr. David Shaw, of Cresco; 23 grandchildren and 33 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; her first husband; her second husband; daughter, Joan Shaw; and stepdaughter, Virginia Theulen; brother, Walter Brown, and sisters, Bertha Stout and Mary Hildebrand. Jones-Eden Funeral Home.

October 16, 2001
Mason City Globe Gazette, Iowa