Helen Yoder

Helen Ruth Durian Yoder died peacefully on July 23 at Parkview Manor Nursing Home where she has lived for 2 years.  A celebration of her life will be Saturday, July 28, 2018 at 11:00 AM at the Peterseim Funeral Home in Kalona, with burial to follow at the Joetown cemetery where she’ll be laid to rest by her beloved husband of 47 years, John Dayle. The family will greet friends from 10 - 11AM at the funeral home.  A memorial for the American Diabetes Association will be set up in Helen’s name.

Helen was born on a farm near Wellman, Iowa on September 5th, 1921 and lived in the area her entire life. She was the daughter of Mae B Moon and Fred E Durian.  After graduating from Wellman High School, she attended a secretarial school in Iowa City, Iowa and worked at the Wellman Advance and The Wellman Creamery before marrying John Dayle Yoder in 1942.  They resided, and farmed near Joetown until his death in 1987.  Helen was a home maker, working alongside her husband on their Tall Corn Guernsey Farm, where they milked registered Guernsey cows, and raised hogs, beef, sheep, turkeys and chickens. In 1958 they started Tall Corn Feed Service in an old gable roofed chicken house, selling feed to their neighbors.  She enjoyed many trips they earned selling feed throughout the years.

Helen was a 4-H leader for several years and a member of the Johnson County Farm Bureau Women. Helen and John Dayle once hosted a caucus for president of the US in their home.  She was a lifelong Chicago Cubs and an Iowa Hawkeye fan. Meeting Hayden Fry was something she was very proud of.  She and John Dayle enjoyed numerous bus trips to Iowa Hawkeye away football games with the Richmond Amvets group.  She wore her Cub’s and Hawkeye jackets often and proudly. As a young girl, 9 or 10, her brother Richard played in the state baseball tournament, spurning her interest in baseball, she started listening to the Chicago Cubs baseball games on the radio. and wanted to be involved with baseball at a time when women and girls could not. She was faithful to the Cubs for the rest of her life and proudly flew her World Championship banner in her room.

Helen enjoyed a very long healthy life and was only hospitalized when having children. She will be remembered for her wicked sense of humor and her very funny quips that she repeated often, much to the amusement of her grandchildren…most of the time!

Helen is survived by her three children: Fred (Martha) Yoder; of Fond du Lac, WI.; Lorna (Richard) Yoder of Boulder, CO.; and Terry (Kelly) Yoder of Joetown, IA. Seven grandchildren:  Alison Valentine (Paul) of Geneva, IL.; Andrea Archambo (John) of Neenah, WI.; Matthew (Tera) Yoder of Des Moines, IA.; Jessica Yoder of Buena Vista, CO.; Sarah (Adam McBride) Yoder of LaPorte, CO.; Jaimy Ellis(Chris) of Wellman, IA.; and Jacquelyn Yoder and Tim Nefzger of Iowa City IA.   She is also survived by nine great grandchildren: JP and Nathan Valentine, Olivia and Max Archambo, Quentin and Owen Yoder, Brena and Lennon Ellis, Katie McBride; good friend Anne Mann; 12 nieces and nephews, most of whom remember her as Ruthie.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John Dayle Yoder, parents Fred and Mae Durian, sister, Cecil Wilson and brother Richard Durian.