Helen Schoen, 1922-2015

Published 9:50 am Friday, June 26, 2015

Memorial services for Helen M. Schoen, 92, of Albert Lea will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Bayview/Freeborn Funeral chapel. The Rev. Dwight Netzer will officiate. Interment will be in Freeborn Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Bayview and one hour prior to the service on Monday. Online condolences are welcome at www.bayviewfuneral.com.

Helen died on Wednesday, June 24, 2015, at her home.

Helen Marion Schoen was born on Dec. 16, 1922, on her grandmother’s farm Northwest of Manchester, the daughter of Gaylor and Mabel (Thostenson) Olson. She was baptized and confirmed at West Freeborn Lutheran Church. She grew up on farms near Manchester and lived for three years with Ruth and Jeff Thisius while she went to high school. Helen attended District 21 Country School and graduated from Freeborn High School in 1941. On Sept, 20, 1941, she was united in marriage to Robert Schoen at West Freeborn Lutheran Church. To this union five children were born, Robert Jr. “Bobbie,” Steven Robert, Peggy Ann, James Paul and Pamela Marie. During World War II Helen volunteered for the American Red Cross rolling bandages. She was a wife, mother, cook at Kenny’s Café, and did interior and exterior painting with Yvonne Christensen.

Helen was a  member of Freeborn Congregational United Church of Christ. She was a den mother, a 4-H Club leader, a member of the Fourth Monday Nighters, a volunteer for Project Charlie in the school, a past president, secretary and treasurer of the Oakview Ladies, a member of extension club Know Your Neighbor, the Parent Teacher Association, a Sunday school teacher, a past president and secretary of the Women’s Fellowship, a member of the religion and education committee of United Church of Christ, clerk for Freeborn Congregational United Church of Christ for 22 years, and sang in the choir and cantata. Her hobbies included baking donuts, cookies, pies and lefse. Favorite pastimes were golfing, playing cards, dancing, knitting, crocheting, doing counted cross stitch and embroidery, as well as cooking and baking.

Survivors include her children Steven Schoen and his special friend, Mary Spire, and his children Fauve and Elke; Peggy (Dean) Goettsch and their children Tony and Annette; and Pamela (Steve) Sahl and their daughter, Amanda (Chris) Cavallaro; great-grandsons Vinnie and Marco; and great-great-granddaughter, Madison; daughter-in-law, Barb Schoen, and her children Jesse (Lisa) Schoen and their children Annie, Lucy and Aaron, Josh Schoen and Laura Schoen and her son, Evan; longtime special companion, Rudy Phillips, and his family Vickie, Sandy, Karen and Ryan; brother, Walter “Bud”  (Ramona) Olson; sisters-in-law Cordelia Olson and Joyce Olson; brother-in-law, John (Virginia) Schoen; many nieces, nephews and cousins; and close friends Betty Johannsen and Norma Jones.

Helen was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Robert Schoen; sons Robert Jr. “Bobbie” and James “Jim;” brothers Gerald, Arvil, Irvin, Wilfred, Fremont and Vernon Olson; and sisters Bernice Vanden Hul and Irene Johnson.