Helen’s family and friends were at her bedside during her brief illness and death. She died at the Johnson Memorial Care Center on Saturday evening, August 25, 2012, at the age of 87 years, 4 months and 10 days.
Memorial service was at 10:30 AM, Friday, August 31, 2012, at the First Presbyterian Church with Pastor Herbert Rotunda officiating; scripture lessons were Psalm 121, Wisdom 3:1-9, II Timothy 4:6-8 and Matthew 16:13-17; Doug and Sharilyn Bates sang “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” and the Presbyterian Church Choir sang “Safe In The Arms Of Jesus” and “When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder”; and organist, Florence Gebur accompanied the singing of “Blessed Assurance” and “It Is Well With My Soul”. Interment was in the Wergeland Cemetery in Porter.
Helen Mae (Van) Miller was born April 15, 1925, in Lowden, IA, the daughter of Tony and Emma (Miller) Van. She attended schools in Porter, Canby, and in Iowa before graduating. Helen and her husband, Maurice, spent many years as co-owners of the Coast to Coast Hardware Store in Dawson.
Helen and Maurice spent many wonderful years of retirement at their homes at Lake Cochran, SD, Ft. Myers Beach and San Antonio, FL. They enjoyed shelling and fishing, as well as golf and the game of Bridge. After Maurice’s death in 2000, Helen moved back to Dawson and had a beautiful apartment in Heritage Courts. She loved living there and spending time with co-residents and other friends. She was known for bringing Norwegian Rice and a bottle of wine to the Heritage Court monthly dinners.
She is survived by her daughters: Pamela Helgeson and her husband, Paul of Dawson and Susan Padovich of Wilmington, IL; one granddaughter, Corin Helgeson-Selman and her husband, Blair; and three great-grandchildren: Lily, Haley, and Bryce. She is also survived by especially dear friends, Carol, Joyce, Muriel, and Beulah, as well as many other friends and relatives.
Preceding her in death were her parents; husband, Maurice; son, Robert; son-in-law, Fred Padovich; sister, Anne Defino; and brother, Jimmy in infancy.
Blessed be her memory.