Obituary of Eleonore Adele Helm

Eleonore Adele Helm was born March 11, 1934 in Düsseldorf, Germany, the daughter of Wilhelm and Eleonore (Echtermann) Köhnen. Eleanore met her husband, Henry Helm Jr. in a café in Germany. They were married on December 19th, 1959. They lived in Cologne, Germany, and eventually moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where they lived for many years. Nore later moved to Okoboji, Iowa. Nore was the quintessential mother, who adored and lived for her children, and later her grandchildren. She was gifted in knitting, sewing, and painting. She loved to make and give away clothes, blankets, and pictures— which always became cherished gifts to her family and friends. She taught Sunday school classes, where all of the children loved her art projects. She loved birds, she loved flowers, and she was at home in her gardens, turning them into backyard paradises. She was always known for her dedication to others, and well into her 70's enjoyed working in her daughter's restaurant, where she tried to outwork the 20 year olds, and often did! The dishes will never be so clean, the kitchen never so well organized. She loved the friends she made at her Bible study class at Good News, and lived daily in the Lord. She will be remembered for her kindness, and her everlasting graciousness. Eleonore went home to the Lord Monday, January 4th, 2009 at 75 years of age. She is survived by her father, Wilhelm Köhnen of Germany, and her two brothers Willie and Dieter, both of Germany; her children, Andrew Helm of Cincinnati, Ohio; Daniel Helm, his wife, Aileen, and their sons, Sean and Ian, of McLean, Virginia; and Jennifer Rettig, her husband David, and their children Bogdan and Katya, of Spirit Lake, Iowa. She was preceded in death by her husband, her mother, and four sisters, Helga, Margot, Ulla, and Uta, all of Germany.