Helen Louise Nielsen

Helen Louise Nielsen, age 95, of Coon Rapids, IA, passed away on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll, IA.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Friday, July 19, 2024 at the First United Methodist Church in Coon Rapids with Pastor Kevin Evers officiating.  Music for the service will be by Cindy Seastrom.  Casket bearers will be Tom Maskel, Ben Kossow, Paul Tesch, Tyler Kossow, Grant Kossow, Michael Maskel, and Charlie Nielsen.  Burial will be in the Union Township Cemetery near Coon Rapids. Memorials are preferred to the First United Methodist Church in Coon Rapids.

Visitation will be held at the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Coon Rapids from 5 – 7 P.M. on Thursday, July 18, 2024.  The casket will be moved to the First United Methodist Church in Coon Rapids at 9:30 A.M. on Friday where visitation will resume until 10:15 A.M. prior to the service.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Coon Rapids and online condolences may be left for the family at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com

Helen was born on August 28, 1928 on her family’s farm near Bayard and was the daughter of Peter and Lucie (Miles) Johnson. She grew up in Guthrie Center – Bayard – Wichita area south of Coon Rapids. She attended country school at Viola Township and Guthrie Center as a girl and graduated from the Bayard High School with the Class of 1947.

On July 11, 1948 she was united in marriage to Paul Lawrence Nielsen in Bayard. The couple made their home in Coon Rapids for several years and later moved to their farm southwest of Bayard where they lived from 1963 to 1976 and raised their three boys. Helen was active in the farming operation and worked for her husband’s business – Paul’s Sinclair. After moving back to Coon Rapids in 1976, she was a long-term employee of General Electric in Carroll. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Coon Rapids and church circle, Order of the Eastern Star – Rebecca Lodge, and the Red Hat Society. Helen enjoyed baking, cooking, card games, ceramics, sewing, keeping an immaculate house, gardening, traveling, and having friends and family come to stay.

Helen is survived by her three sons and their families: Maurice Nielsen (Marylin) of Mukwonago, WI, Keith Nielsen (Karen) of Ft. Walton Beach, FL, and Bob Nielsen (Ann) of Overland Park, KS; seven grandchildren: Heather Bryant, Jennifer Maskel (Tom), Erin Kossow (Ben), Angi Jones (Eddie), Charlie Nielsen (Roxanne), Laura Tesch (Paul), and Justin Nielsen; seventeen great-grandchildren; and two great-great granddaughters; two sisters-in-law: Annie Vincent (Jerry) of Jefferson, IA, and Judy Marques (Dave) of Livermore, CO; several nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Helen was preceded in death by her husband Paul Nielsen in 1985; parents Peter and Lucie Johnson; in-laws Rasmus and Louise Nielsen; daughter-in-law Linda Nielsen; two sisters: Margaret Johnson and Marjorie Bell; and two brothers: Forest and Earl Johnson.

The family is grateful for the attentive care provided by Dr. Greg Perkins and the entire staff of the Park View Assisted Living/Thomas Rest Haven in Coon Rapids.