Helen A. Jensen

June 23, 1920 - December 30, 2015

A Memorial Gathering will be held at 1:00 P.M. Saturday, May 7, 2016, at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall in Inwood, Iowa. Friends and family are invited to share memories and lunch. Burial will be held at a later date. Helen Adele Jensen (Rasmussen), age 95, of Okoboji, IA, passed away on Wednesday, December 30, 2015, at her home in Okoboji. She was born on June 23, 1920, in Omaha, NE, to Harry and Hattie (Hillesland) Rasmussen. She grew up as a farm girl near Inwood, Iowa, and after graduating from high school, she earned her teaching certificate at Iowa State Teacher's College in Cedar Falls. She began her teaching career in Sutherland, where she met John Jensen, whom she married on August 1, 1945. She continued her teaching career while raising her family with John. She attended post-graduate education at Augustana College (Sioux Falls) for her Bachelor's degree, and then graduated with her Master's degree from the University of South Dakota. She first taught elementary grades, and for the last half of her career she was a reading and learning disabilities specialist. She loved working with children, and was once named "Iowa's Outstanding Elementary Teacher of the Year." Her last several years of teaching were in Arnolds Park. Helen enjoyed oil painting, reading, flowers, gardening, and family fun. Helen is survived by her husband, John Jensen, of Okoboji, IA; daughters, Susan Jensen-Cekalla (Duane) of Rice, MN, Joan Ellen (Bruce) VanderWaal of Sioux Falls, SD, Kristin Jensen (Bruce Brown) of Sioux Falls, SD; four grandchildren, Justin (Deanna) Persoon of Scottville, MI, Catherine Persoon of Spring Lake, MI, Russ VanderWaal of Vancouver, WA, and Dana VanderWaal (Matt Stassen) of Colorado Springs, CO; five great-grandchildren, Kelsey, Austin, and Trevor Persoon, and Lily Cass, all in MI, and Caleb Van Vooren of Sioux Falls, SD; nieces and nephews; sister-in-law Doris Jensen of Florida; brother-in-law Paul Jensen, of Sutherland, IA, and many special friends. Helen was preceded in death by her grandparents, parents, and beloved sister, Jody Christensen. The Schuchert-Lentz Funeral Home in Spirit Lake is in charge of the arrangements.