Helen Eileen Grethen, the daughter of Henry Albert and Esther Christine (Berkland) Mansager, was born on April 24, 1928, on their farm NE of Cylinder. She passed away at the Avera Holy Family Hospital on June 16, 2022, at the age of 94.
Helen graduated from Cylinder High School in 1945. During her Senior year in High School, she enjoyed working as a waitress for the Thompson Café in Cylinder.
On February 22, 1947, she was united in marriage to Richard Leo Grethen upon his return home from WWII at the St. Jon’s Lutheran Church in DePew, Iowa. They lived and farmed in Spirit Lake for 1 year and then moved to farm at West Bend for 3 years. They moved to Graettinger in 1952 where they farmed for 10 years. In 1962 they moved to Estherville, where they continued to farm, milk cows, raise cattle, chickens, and hogs until Dick passed away in 1977 from a heart attack. Helen continued living on the farm throughout the rest of her life. She very much enjoyed country living and fresh garden produce.
Helen was an active member of the Estherville Lutheran Church. She was especially active in her circle group and enjoyed baking and making items for the church bazaar. She donated apples for their pie making for many years and contributed many quarts of homegrown tomatoes for their soup. Helen was very talented with crocheting, sewing. and needlepoint. She enjoyed working on jigsaw puzzles, reading books and painting. Her favorite moments were having her family stop by for visits, and she always had homemade cookies or kringla on hand.
Left to cherish her memory are one daughter Connie (Paul) Love of Spirit Lake; two sons, Jerry and Roger (Judy) both of Estherville; five Grandchildren: Scott (Wendy) Love of Hanska MN, Shane (Stacy) Love of Ankeny IA, Spencer (Andrea) Love of Estherville, Jennifer (Jason) Best of Davenport IA, and Kristi (Scott) Roose of Pella, IA; eleven Great Grandchildren: Kayla (Chase) Winter, Katelynn (Zach) Beckius, Carson, Emerson, Conagher, Alister Love, Grant and Gracen Love, Tyler Best, Daniel and Katy Roose; four Great Great Grandchildren: Brantley and Blakelynn Winter; Adilynn and Clara Beckius; and one sister-in-law Bernice Mansager of Eagle Bend, MN.
She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Dick, one brother Robert Mansager , one great granddaughter Addison Love and numerous Aunts, Uncles and Cousins.
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