Wednesday, December 29, 2010

David Helfinstine's Mother Passes Away


Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences go out to David Helfinstine on the passing of his mother. This is the obituary that appears on eidsnessfuneralhome.com.

Jean M. Helfinstine
Jun 11 1920 - Dec 28 2010
Jean M. Helfinstine, age 90, of Brookings, died Tuesday, December 28, 2010, at the Brookings Hospital. Funeral services will be 10:30 A.M. Thursday, December 30, 2010, at First Presbyterian Church in Brookings, with interment in Greenwood Cemetery. Visitations will be from 5-8 P.M. Wednesday at Eidsness Funeral Home in Brookings. Memorials may be directed to the Rex & Jean Helfinstine Scholarship at SDSU or First Presbyterian Church. Jean M. (Fellows) Helfinstine was born June 11, 1920, at Janesville, Iowa, to Lloyd H. and Marian (Ballou) Fellows. She grew up in Waterloo, Iowa, and graduated from East Waterloo High School in 1938. She attended St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and transferred to Iowa State Teachers College (now UNI) in Cedar Falls, Iowa, graduating in 1946. She taught home economics, history, government, and English at Colesburg and Remsen, Iowa. She introduced and managed the school lunch program at Colesburg. On June 11, 1949, she married Rex D. Helfinstine at Berkeley, California. They lived in Fargo, North Dakota, in 1950 until 1951 where Rex was on the USDA staff at the university. Jean was a member of the faculty women’s chorus. She was employed at St. Luke’s Nursing School and taught a class in child growth and development to student nurses. In June 1952, the Helfinstines moved to Brookings where Rex was employed by the USDA and Extension Service. Rex died September 30, 1995. Jean was an active member of First Presbyterian Church, serving two terms as elder, teaching Sunday School, singing in the choir, and serving as president of Presbyterian Women. She organized and taught an ecumenical Bible class. She gave piano lessons for 23 years, retiring in 1976. She served as president of NARFE, was a member of the Saturday Literary Club, and served as pianist for Golden K Kiwanis for seven years. Her hobbies included gardening, knitting, sewing, and playing piano and organ.Survivors include a son, David Helfinstine and his wife, Cathy, of Willmar, Minnesota; and two grandchildren, Ryan Helfinstine and his special friend Erin, and Betsy Staley and her husband Adam; and five great-grandchildren: Cole, Tucker, and Koda Helfinstine, and Jack and Ellie Staley.

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