Helen M. Langenfeld
April 10, 1919 — February 14, 2014
Helen Mary Langenfeld was born on April 10, 1919 to Godfried and Mary (Kerwes) Wordekemper in Willey, Iowa. She was baptized at St. Peters and Paul Catholic Church in Carroll, Iowa and attended schools in Willey and Vail, Iowa.
She moved to Chicago and worked as a waitress for a while before moving back to Harlan where she went to work at the Old Coffee Shop. She helped Ray Domino raise his four girls after his wife died. This is how she met Leo Langenfeld whom she married on February 9, 1955 at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Westphalia. The couple had one son, George and lived on a farm south of Westphalia.
Helen helped her husband work on their farm and set up almost every funeral lunch at St. Boniface while a member there between 1955 and 1990. When she became a member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in 1990, she set up funeral lunches for another twenty-four years as well as assisting with weddings at both churches.
In 1985, Leo and Helen moved to a farm just west of Harlan until 1990, when they moved into town. After her husband’s farm accident in 1986, Helen took care of him until his death on August 19, 2001.
Helen became a resident of Elm Crest Retirement Home in 2010. This is where she died on Friday, February 14, 2014 having attained the age of ninety-four years, ten months, and four days. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Leo; brothers: Henry, Melvin, and Norbert; and sisters Margaret and Bernice.
She is survived by her son George Langenfeld and his wife Julie of Harlan, Iowa; three grandchildren: Trevor, Tori, and Cali; brother Lawrence Wordekemper of Denison, Iowa; sister Alice Roling of Schaller, Iowa; other family members and many friends.
Rev. John Dorton celebrated the 11:00 AM Mass of Christian Burial on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 with Rev. John Frost at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Westphalia, Iowa. Music was provided by Gloria Schmitz and Jan Rau. Honorary casket bearers were Tori Langenfeld, Jenny Stewart, Cali Langenfeld, Lisa Schaben, Becky Schaben, and Andy Schaben. Serving as casket bearers were Kevin Schaben, Dale Gross, Jim Langenfeld, Trevor Langenfeld, Scott Bruce, Dean Wordekemper, Mike Pitts, and Dick Roling. Interment was held at St. Boniface Cemetery in Westphalia.
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She moved to Chicago and worked as a waitress for a while before moving back to Harlan where she went to work at the Old Coffee Shop. She helped Ray Domino raise his four girls after his wife died. This is how she met Leo Langenfeld whom she married on February 9, 1955 at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Westphalia. The couple had one son, George and lived on a farm south of Westphalia.
Helen helped her husband work on their farm and set up almost every funeral lunch at St. Boniface while a member there between 1955 and 1990. When she became a member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in 1990, she set up funeral lunches for another twenty-four years as well as assisting with weddings at both churches.
In 1985, Leo and Helen moved to a farm just west of Harlan until 1990, when they moved into town. After her husband’s farm accident in 1986, Helen took care of him until his death on August 19, 2001.
Helen became a resident of Elm Crest Retirement Home in 2010. This is where she died on Friday, February 14, 2014 having attained the age of ninety-four years, ten months, and four days. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Leo; brothers: Henry, Melvin, and Norbert; and sisters Margaret and Bernice.
She is survived by her son George Langenfeld and his wife Julie of Harlan, Iowa; three grandchildren: Trevor, Tori, and Cali; brother Lawrence Wordekemper of Denison, Iowa; sister Alice Roling of Schaller, Iowa; other family members and many friends.
Rev. John Dorton celebrated the 11:00 AM Mass of Christian Burial on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 with Rev. John Frost at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Westphalia, Iowa. Music was provided by Gloria Schmitz and Jan Rau. Honorary casket bearers were Tori Langenfeld, Jenny Stewart, Cali Langenfeld, Lisa Schaben, Becky Schaben, and Andy Schaben. Serving as casket bearers were Kevin Schaben, Dale Gross, Jim Langenfeld, Trevor Langenfeld, Scott Bruce, Dean Wordekemper, Mike Pitts, and Dick Roling. Interment was held at St. Boniface Cemetery in Westphalia.
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