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Helen Lucille Henderson Janson

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Birth	:	22 Mar 1923 Wayne County, Iowa, USA
Death	:	26 May 2017 Maryville, Nodaway County, Missouri, USA
Burial	:	Norway Township Cemetery, Drew, Wright County, USA
Coordinate	:	42.8636093, -93.7772217
Description	:	Helen Lucille Henderson was born and raised on a farm 3 miles southwest of Seymour, Iowa, the daughter of Robert Carlton Henderson, a farmer and registered breeder of Belgian work horses, and Mima Ann (Masters) Henderson, a school teacher. Helen loved to be read to at an early age from which she developed a life-long love of reading. She rode her pony to a nearby country school in Wayne County from which she graduated after passing the county-wide eighth-grade exams and matriculated to Seymour High School. During her senior year she was chosen to recite the poem, "Paul Revere's Ride"... Read More	Helen Lucille Henderson was born and raised on a farm 3 miles southwest of Seymour, Iowa, the daughter of Robert Carlton Henderson, a farmer and registered breeder of Belgian work horses, and Mima Ann (Masters) Henderson, a school teacher. Helen loved to be read to at an early age from which she developed a life-long love of reading. She rode her pony to a nearby country school in Wayne County from which she graduated after passing the county-wide eighth-grade exams and matriculated to Seymour High School. During her senior year she was chosen to recite the poem, "Paul Revere's Ride" to a HS assembly. She majored in Institutional Management in the College of Home Economics at Iowa State University, concentrating on dietician's work, and graduated in 1943. At Iowa State she met and married Eldon Joseph Janson, a Norwegian-American from Clarion, Iowa, who was studying veterinary medicine. Doc was part of the ISU College of Veterinary Medicine's graduating class whose army assignment was to practice veterinary medicine in SW Iowa in order help ensure a safe food supply for the troops and those on the home front. Helen and Doc moved to Gravity, Iowa, in 1943 where they put down roots and began to raise a family and to participate in community and school affairs. Helen inculcated in her children and others a love of reading and a sense of curiosity about people and events, both past and present. She and Doc worked to enlarge a view that went beyond current geographic boundaries and present circumstances. Helen was a skilled seamstress, making new shirts for the boys and dresses for the girls each summer before the school year began. She was also an excellent cook who became particularly noted for her elegant pie crusts and tasty pies. For Christmas Helen turned the kitchen into a factory for producing exceptionally tasty tea rings which she would give to Doc to distribute throughout the community, particularly focusing on elderly folks. Helen loved to make seasonal decorations for her house, particularly in the fall, and enlisted Doc and the kids in bittersweet expeditions to locate and gather it in. She was also a masterful garden overseer and canner of jams, jellies, pickled beets, pickles, sauerkraut, tomatoes, tomato juice, and frozen vegetables. When she found it necessary, Helen was strong-willed and gently persistent. Helen's work as a Cub Scout den mother and developer of a summer library program benefited many children in Gravity. Her work with the American Field Service (AFS) program facilitated cultural exchanges between the Bedford Community School District and countries around the world which enriched us all. Helen's work with the Taylor County Museum, the Taylor County Historical Society, and the Taylor County Genealogical Society touched the lives of Taylor County residents and others, both around Iowa and the United States. Helen was honored in 1989 by being designated "Iowa Mother of the Year" for her contributions to family & community life and for her work on behalf of others. Helen also received the Governor's Volunteer Award in 1989. Besides helping with soup suppers (chili, oyster stew, & pie) and many other food-associated fund raisers in Gravity, Bedford & Clarinda, Helen was also active with the Gravity and Bedford PTA's, the Gravity American Legion Auxiliary, the Gravity Canasta Club, the Gravity Women's Study Club, Lioness of Bedford, the Iowa Veterinary Auxiliary, and the St. John's Lutheran Church Library Board in Clarinda. In addition, she volunteered for the Iowa Society for the Blind to transcribe materials from regular print into Braille text with a Braille typewriter she purchased. Helen also served as the book chair for the two-volume Taylor County History and served on the editorial team to compile and publish an initial volume of Tombstone Record of Taylor County, Iowa as well as a supplemental volume the following year. Helen also contributed to historical work on the Underground Railroad in Taylor County, and was working at the time of her death on nominating to the local Hall of Fame Lulu Johnson, a Gravity resident who became the first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. from The University of Iowa. Helen touched the lives of many by using her skills, knowledge, and abilities in positive ways to help others and to work with others to make community life more informative and interesting. Helen was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. E.J. Janson (2000); her first-born daughter, Marilyn Ann Janson in infancy (1944); her son, Robert Dean Janson, while serving in Army counter-intelligence (1969); her brother, Howard Henderson, in a car crash while making a rural call as a veterinarian in SW Iowa (1958); her father, Robert Carlton Henderson (1965); and her mother, Mima Ann Henderson (1972). She is survived by three children (Dick Janson, Decorah, IA; Jeanne Janson, Mobridge, SD; & Janet Kelly, Lawrence, KS), six grandchildren (Joe Kelly & Erin, Lawrence, KS; Jonathan Kelly, Boise, ID; Kirkja Janson, St. Paul, MN; Tor Janson, Decorah, IA; Per Janson, Brooklyn, NY; & Lara Janson, Chicago, IL), two great-grandchildren (Annika Janson-Lofgren & Anneli Janson-Lofgren, St. Paul, MN); one AFS son and his family (Masao & Yoshimi Nishimura, daughter Nami & her husband Tetsutaro Shimaoka, & son Akihiro, Tokyo, Japan), and numerous Henderson & Janson nieces & nephews and their children. A memorial service celebrating Helen's life will be held at 10:30 AM on July 18, 2017, at St. John's Lutheran Church, Clarinda, Iowa. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Taylor County Museum or the Taylor County Historical Society. Both Helen and Doc donated their bodies to the Kansas University Medical School in Lawrence, Kansas, to assist future doctors with their medical education. Afterwards their bodies were cremated with their ashes being interred in the Norway Township Cemetery, Wright County, Iowa. Services provided by Walker-Merrick Funeral Home, Clarinda, Iowa. Contributor: Pat O'Dell

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Helen Lucille Henderson Janson's memorial?
Helen Lucille Henderson Janson's memorial is located at: Norway Township Cemetery, Drew, Wright County, USA.
When did Helen Lucille Henderson Janson death?
Helen Lucille Henderson Janson death on 26 May 2017 in Maryville, Nodaway County, Missouri, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Helen Lucille Henderson Janson's memorial?
Latitude: 42.8636093
Longitude: -93.7772217

Family Members:

Parent

Robert Carlton Henderson

(1889 - 1965)

Mima Ann Masters Henderson

(1889 - 1972)

Spouse

Eldon Joseph Janson

(1913 - 2000)

Children

Marilyn Ann Janson

(1944 - 1944)

Robert Dean “Bob” Janson

(1947 - 1969)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Norway Township Cemetery
Drew, Wright County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8636093, -93.7772217

2. Saint Olaf Lutheran Cemetery
Belmond, Wright County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8634000, -93.7317000

3. Wright Christian Reformed Church Cemetery
Wright County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8630000, -93.8257000

4. Ringsaker Cemetery
Wright County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8636017, -93.7244034

5. Amsterdam Township Cemetery
Kanawha, Hancock County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9385000, -93.8030000

6. Simonson Family Cemetery
Belmond Township, Wright County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8999672, -93.6835466

7. West Lake Cemetery
Hancock County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9403000, -93.7369003

8. Old Amsterdam Cemetery
Kanawha, Hancock County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9517700, -93.7571500

9. Hickory Grove Cemetery
Wright County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8958015, -93.6421967

10. Elmwood Cemetery
Wright County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8563995, -93.9516983

11. Belmond Cemetery
Belmond, Wright County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8360000, -93.6020000

12. Magor Township Cemetery
Corwith, Hancock County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9602446, -93.9107818

13. Saint Francis Cemetery
Belmond, Wright County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8297005, -93.5905991

14. Saint Johns Cemetery
Clarion, Wright County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7324982, -93.7039032

15. Evergreen Cemetery
Clarion, Wright County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7313995, -93.7069016

16. Amsterdam Cemetery
Goodell, Hancock County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9235992, -93.5894012

17. Holmes Lutheran Cemetery
Holmes, Wright County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7172012, -93.8424988

18. Glenwood Cemetery
Goldfield, Wright County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7407990, -93.9253006

19. Immanuel Reformed Cemetery
Belmond, Wright County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8635000, -93.5484000

20. Wright County Burying Grounds
Goldfield, Wright County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7249710, -93.9210580

21. Corwith Cemetery
Corwith, Hancock County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9935989, -93.9456024

22. Saint Marys Catholic Cemetery
Corwith, Hancock County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9939003, -93.9468994

23. Swiss Cemetery
Renwick, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8492012, -94.0243988

24. Renwick Cemetery
Renwick, Humboldt County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8250008, -94.0199966