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Joan Helle
JOAN HELLE
Dyersville
Joan M. Helle, 89, of Dyersville, died Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, at Stonehill Care Center, Dubuque. Friends may call from 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday, March 1, at Kramer Funeral Home, 750 12th Ave. SW, Dyersville, where a parish vigil service will be at 8 p.m. Friends may continue to call after 9 a.m. Monday at the funeral home before the funeral Mass. A Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 2, at St. Francis Xavier Basilica in Dyersville, with burial in the church cemetery. The Rev. Dennis Quint will officiate and Deacon Roger Riesberg will assist.
Joan was born Sept. 24, 1925, in Worthington, Iowa, the daughter of Sylverius and Angela (Kramer) Jaeger. She married George B. Helle on May 1, 1946. Together they owned Helle Livestock in Dyersville.
Joan enjoyed quilting, embroidery work, baking, gardening and spending time with her family. She enjoyed the many visits from the family, especially the grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Surviving are her children: Sister Mary Ann Helle OSF of Dubuque, Frank (Joann) Helle, Bob (Camie Pedersen) Helle, Paul (Stella) Helle and Doris (Clair) Riesberg, all of Dyersville, Marlene (Ambrose) Koopmann of Epworth, Joanie (Tom) Tauke of Greeley, LuAnn (Bob) Cigrand of Cascade, Janet Schwendinger and Ruth (Larry) Griffin, both of Dubuque, LeRoy (Margie) Helle of Hopkinton, Norma (Gerald) Kelchen of Manchester, George (Connie) Helle of Anamosa and Pearl (Harold) Kelchen of Ryan; 68 grandchildren; 109 great-grandchildren; 22 great-great-grandchildren; and siblings: Norma (Laverne) Petsche of Dyersville, Marilyn (Pat) Werner of Dyersville, Bill Jaeger and John (Ruth) Jaeger, both of Manchester, Leo (Diane) Jaeger of Kenton, Ohio, Leroy Jaeger of Earlville and Loras (Mikki) Jaeger of Davenport.
She was preceded in death by her husband, George, in 1985; a son-in-law, John Schwendinger, in 2014; her parents; her stepmother, Coletta (Pottebaum) Jaeger; grandchildren, Tom Kelchen, Wanda (Dave) Eilers, Dorothy Helle and Barbara Koopmann; great- granddaughter, Ashley Meyers; siblings, Jeanne Ann and Eldon Jaeger in infancy, Urban (Irene) Jaeger, Della Rose Downey and Eileen (John) Appel; and in-laws, Anita Jaeger, Diane Jaeger and Mary Ann Jaeger.
Special thanks to Stonehill Care Center for the wonderful care given to Joan over the past 20 years.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.kramerfuneral.com.
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