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Obituary for Helen Marie Hester
Helen Marie (Algreen) Hester, 84 of Earlham passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 25, 2020. Visitation will be held 5-8 P.M. with family present from 6-8 P.M. on Monday, June 29th at Johnson Family Funeral Home in Earlham. Private family funeral service will be held on Tuesday, June 30th at Zion Lutheran Church in Dexter. Burial will be at the Earlham City Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Helen Hester Memorial Fund and will be directed to local organizations at a later date. Online condolences may be left at www.johnsonfamilyfuneralhome.com.
Helen was born June 30, 1935 to Everett “Pete” and Elfreida (Jensen) Algreen at the family home south of Dexter. She grew up in rural Dexter and attended school in Dexter as well as the Penn Center country school, later graduating from Earlham High School with the Class of 1954. Following graduation, she worked in downtown Des Moines as a bank teller. On January 26, 1956 Helen was united in marriage to Robert “Bob” Hester. To this union five children were born: Marty, Joni, Karla, Reid and Lynn. Bob and Helen raised their kids on the family homestead north of Earlham where they farmed for over 40 years. In their retirement years Helen and Bob enjoyed traveling and wintering in Florence, Arizona.
Helen was a lifelong member of Zion Lutheran Church Dexter where she was baptized, confirmed and married. She served on the Zion Ladies Aid, Altar Guild and Bereavement Committee. She enjoyed walking, gardening, reading, playing cards, baking, cross-stitching and ceramics. She often made visits to family and friends and enjoyed delivering meals and sharing her baked goods. Helen loved piecing and hand quilting with her Sunshine Circle group and made numerous quilts for her family and friends. Helen especially cherished time spent with family and enjoyed attending their many activities and making memories on the family farm.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Bob in 2005; parents, Everett and Elfreida Algreen; step-mother, Lenore Algreen; brother, Billy Algreen; sister-in-law, Zelda Oblinger; and brother-in-law, Harold Hester.
Left to treasure her memories are children: Marty (Steve) Marker of Earlham, Joni Hopkins of Earlham, Karla (Mark) Peiffer of West Des Moines, Reid (Susan) Hester of Cumming and Lynn (Rob) Woollums of Johnston; grandchildren: Chad (Janel Sullivan) Stiles, Corey (Penny) Stiles, Steven (Bri) Gillette, Sam Hester, Gabe Hester, Brenden Janssen, Carley Janssen, Vance Peiffer, Carter Woollums and Addison Woollums; great-grandchildren: Johnathan Stiles, Hunter Stiles, Dawson Sullivan, Casey Stiles, Callie Stiles, Brody Stiles, Peyton Gillette and Campbell Gillette; sister-in-law, Jean Hester of Fallbrook, CA, sister-in-law, Sheila Algreen of Winterset; and a host of extended family and friends.
