Helen R. Peterson

Helen Rebecca Peterson, 99, formerly of Garner and Clear Lake, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, at the IOOF Home, Mason City.

  Visitation will be held from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5, at Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, 310 1st Ave. N., Clear Lake.

  A memorial service will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5, at Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel. The graveside service will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery, 11495 265th, Mason City.

  Time for fellowship will be held following the burial at Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel.

  Memorials may be directed to the family for a permanent outdoor memorial bench in Helen’s honor at the I.O.O.F. Home.

  Helen was born July 18, 1923, the daughter of Sam and Irene (Bower) Farrow of rural Clear Lake. She graduated from Clear Lake High School.

  On April 20, 1941, she married Wilbur Peterson in Albert Lea, Minn. Together the couple raised four girls in rural Ventura. Helen spent a majority of her time being a devoted farm wife and mother who was always concerned about the well-being of others before herself. Growing up through the depression she learned early of the rewards of hard work. When the girls where young, Helen worked as a patient care assistant to help supplement income. She was an awesome seamstress, making most of the girl’s clothes. 

After moving off the farm, Helen kept busy working with special needs children and custodial work with the Garner School System. Helen took a lot of  pride in being a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother. She cherished any amount of time that she got to spend with her family. In their younger years as a couple, they enjoyed the live music scene at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake.  In retirement, Wilbur and Helen spent time together gardening, sightseeing via bus tours and volunteering in their beloved community of Garner.  In 1998, they were recognized for their volunteer work with the Garner Area Education Center and in 1999, were named as Outstanding Citizens.

  They also spent many hours traveling to attend their grandchildren’s activities.  Faith was an important foundation of  Helen’s life; she was a dedicated member of Faith Lutheran Church, in Miller,  where she rarely missed a weekly worship, was an active member of the Women’s group sewing quilts for those in need worldwide and using her gifts in cooking and baking to lift the spirits of others in need. 

In her family’s eyes, Helen was a great cook and baker who enjoyed hosting large gatherings and making sure everyone had plenty to eat.  Helen also enjoyed playing cards, with 500 becoming her card game of choice in her later years during weekly visits with family and during her time with others at IOOF who became extended family members to her in the time she lived there.  She was an Iowa Hawkeyes fan who had an opinion when the game wasn’t going in the Hawkeyes favor.  Her lifelong enjoyment of music remained on display in her final days as she was able to  sing some of her favorite hymns less than a week before she died.  

  Those left to cherish her memory are her daughter’s, Linda Raymond, of Indianola, Iowa, Donna (Gary) Boyd, of Owatonna, Minn., Amy (Wayne) Peterson-Pralle, of Latimer, Iowa, and Rebecca Lamana, of Walker, La.; grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, Candi (Mike) Christensen, Zach (Brittney) Christensen and their children, Tucker and Bentley, Ethan Christensen (Amanda Lor),  Shane (Jen) Boyd, Shannon (Brian) Blatti, and their children Jacob and Anna, Stacy (Todd) Sparks, Collin (Kasey) Peterson and their children, Graham, Bennett and Crew, Nathan (Yolanda) Pralle, and their children, Keston and  Macaean, Katy (Tyler) Flint and their children, Riley and Maguire, Ashlee (Joey) Bishop and their children, Brody, Aubree and Harper, Mandi (Colby) Waters and their son, Jacobi, Jody (Charlie) Villneave and their children, Karliegh and Braxton, Don (Joseph) Lamana, and Kylie; as well as numerous other extended family members and friends.

  Helen is preceded in death by her husband, Wilbur; son-in-law, Jeffrey Raymond Sr.; son-in law, Donald Lamana; grandson, Jeffrey Raymond Jr.; her parents, Sam and Irene; and siblings, Lynn, Leona, Louise, Dorothy, Bob, Jay, Donald and Maxine.

  Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, was in charge of arrangements.