Helen Valvoda

HELEN VALVODA

Oelwein

Helen R. Valvoda, 89, of Oelwein, died Friday morning, April 17, 2015, at her home. Mass of Christian Burial: 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 22, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Oelwein, with the Rev. Paul C. McManus and Deacon Jim Patera officiating. Visitation: 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Jamison-Schmitz Funeral Home, Oelwein., with a CDA rosary at 4:30 p.m. and Scripture service at 6:30 p.m. Interment: Woodlawn Cemetery, Oelwein.

A memorial fund has been established.

Online obituary at www.jamisonschmitz funeralhome.com.

Helen Rose Drilling was born Feb. 19, 1926, in Cresco, Iowa, the daughter of Nick and Teresa (Kapler) Drilling. She graduated from Cresco High School with the class of 1944. Helen played in a band called The Melody Ramblers. She was a great musician and played the organ, mandolin, guitar and accordion. On May 27, 1948, Helen was united in marriage to Virgil Raymond Valvoda in New Hampton. They enjoyed 42 years of marriage together until his passing on May 11, 1990. In her earlier years, Helen had been employed as a nursing assistant at hospitals in New Hampton and Oelwein and also at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, Canada. In addition to working with her husband in his insurance business, she later worked as a bookkeeper for the Oelwein Gambles Store and then as a legal secretary for attorney Darold Jack.

Helen was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where she had served as a past Eucharistic minister to the homebound. She was a member of the Rosary Society and Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court St. Rita No. 321, where she held the office of recording secretary and later became grand regent of the court. Helen then joined the Iowa Past Regents Club. She also was a member of the Sacred Heart Senior Citizens Club, having served as secretary and vice president.

In her later years, she was a volunteer at Oelwein Health Care Center. She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, gardening and bird watching.

Helen was a strong woman for such a tiny person. She was very open-minded; could talk to anybody; was strong in her faith and spent her life caring for EVERYONE.

She will be greatly missed by all who were touched by her kindness and loved her.

Left to honor her memory are her six children, Larry (Diane) Valvoda of Fairfax, Sherry (Alan) Hurst of Boone, June (William) Ryan of Alburnett, Dale (Sandra) Valvoda of Fort Dodge, Susan (David) Swanson of Rochester, Minn., and Steven (Liza) Valvoda of Marion; 13 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and a sister-in-law, Gloria Drilling of New Hampton.

Helen was preceded in death by her parents; husband; a sister, Arlene McGuigan; and five brothers, Jerome Drilling, Hugo Drilling, Arnold Drilling, Edward Drilling and Virgil Drilling.