Helen Fravel of rural Greenleafton, MN died Tuesday, November 6, 2007, at the Harmony Health Care, in Harmony, MN after a long illness.
Funeral Services will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 10, 2007 at the Conway Funeral Home in Cresco, with burial in New Oregon Cemetery, rural Cresco. Rev. Todd Yeaton will officiate. Visitation will be held on Friday from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. and on Saturday, one hour prior to services.
Helen Irene Leistikow was born on October 12, 1922, on a farm near Burr Oak, Iowa, the daughter of Herman and Ida (Warnke) Leistikow. She was baptized and confirmed in her faith at the Burr Oak Lutheran Church and attended the rural school near the farm where she lived as she was growing up. She and her family moved to Decorah in 1942. She worked in a café in Decorah.
On March 2, 1947, she was united in marriage to Charles Fravel in the Decorah Lutheran Church at Decorah, Iowa. To this union four children were born, Nancy, Irene, Judy, and Harold. After marriage, they lived on the Fravel farm southwest of Cresco for nine years, then they moved to the Lenora area where they lived when the tornado took their home in 1965. They then moved to the farm southwest of Greenleafton where Chuck is still residing. She entered the nursing home on October 11, 2004.
As a child, she was active in 4-H and was good with her hands. She enjoyed baking, making bread, pies and cookies, so much so, that her grandchildren affectionately called her the “Grandma that Cooks”. Helen was an avid card player, especially 500. She worked Word Find Puzzles, watched mysteries on TV, like “Perry Mason” and “Columbo”. She was a member of the Farmerettes Home Makers and active in her church.
Helen is survived by her husband, Charles of Greenleafton, MN, three daughters: Nancy, and her husband, Paul Svelmoe of Missoula, MT, Irene, and her husband, Larry Mathison of Preston, MN, Judy, and her husband, Darrol King of Rochester, MN; one son: Harold Fravel, and his wife, Julianna, of Fountain, MN; seven grandchildren: Owen Svelmoe; Karen (Keith) Miller, Loren (Carrie) Mathison, and Aaren Mathison; Jason (Tara) Fravel, Amber and Brianna Fravel; one great-granddaughter: Julia Fravel; and one sister-in-law, Lenora Leistikow of Decorah, Iowa.
She was preceded in death by her parents, five brothers: Fredric, Ervin, George, Herman, and Carl Leistikow, and one sister: Amelia (Jessie) Smith.