Helen Landswerk, age 92, of Cresco, passed away Friday morning, February 9, 2018, at the Evans Memorial Home in Cresco, Iowa. Memorial services will be held 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 3, at the First United Methodist Church, 310 N. Elm St., Cresco, Iowa. Friends may call one hour prior to services.
Helen Elizabeth Schumann Landswerk was born on a farm in Albion Township, Howard County, March 28, 1925. Helen was the daughter of Edward Henry G. Schumann and Thenora (Sinland) Schumann.
She was born during the Depression but never was reminded of it. She was the youngest in her family, baptized by Pastor A. W. Schlesselman May 3, 1925, and confirmed by Pastor Park E. Miller November 29, l936, in the Evangelical Church.
She took Normal training so she could teach. She was too young to teach when she graduated, but they needed a teacher in the middle of the year and gave her special permission. Later, she earned a B.A. degree from Upper Iowa University, Fayette, Iowa, in 1966.
She taught school in Howard and Winneshiek counties and Tuthill, S. Dak. She was President of the Howard County Post #4561 Ladies Auxiliary two years, and had a lifetime membership with the VFW. She played the piano until she was 90 for the Zion Evangelical United Brethren, now the Zion United Methodist Church, worked with the choir and the youth fellowship, and was treasurer of the church. She taught Sunday school for the Fremont Lutheran Church and was a 4-H leader of the Cloverleaf Neighbors of Albion Township, rural Cresco.
Helen married Curtis John Landswerk on January 1, 1949, at the Evangelical Church. They farmed on the Henry Novak farm near Schley, Hoines farm near Ridgeway, and their farm by Kendalville, Iowa.
She participated in three county fairs with baked goods, pies, jams, candy, pickles, photography, vegetables and flowers.
Helen is survived by her daughter Donna Marie Landswerk of Cresco, sister-in-law Betty (Harding) Schumann of La Porte City; nieces Beverly Palmer, La Porte City and Barbara (Wesley) Walker, Muscatine; nephews James (Jan) Schumann, Waterloo and Jon (Cindy) Schumann, Des Moines; half-niece Geradine (Orem) Glenn, Sacramento, Calif.; and Landswerk relatives: sister-in-law Dora Lee (Gordan) Landswerk-Albertson, nieces Karen (Landswerk) Webster, Jane (Joe) Truka, Joan Landswerk and nephew Gary (Anne) Landswerk.
Preceding her in death were her former husband Curtis Landswerk, brothers Harding Schumann and Gale Schumann, half-brother Donald Schumann and half-sister Faith Schumann Orem, half-niece Nancy (Orem) Betts of California.
Memorials may be directed to the family: Donna Landswerk, P.O. Box 372, Cresco, Iowa, 52136.
Leave a Reply