Helen Margaret Bissen
April 24, 1927 — September 3, 2015
Helen Margaret Bissen was born on April 24, 1927 to Joseph and Josephine (Blum) Gross on a farm north of Earling, Iowa. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, attended country school and graduated from St. Joseph’s Catholic School.
She was united in marriage to Marvin Bissen on September 30, 1947 in Earling. They became parents to six children: Linda, Duane, Connie, Dennis, Nancy, and Roger. Helen was proud to be a homemaker, raising her children, and helping her husband on the farms near Earling, Irwin, and Kimballton.
She worked at the Salem Lutheran Nursing Home in Elk Horn, Iowa and later did Home Health care, always demonstrating her love and compassion for others. She was an Avon representative for twenty years and has been a member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas since 1947.
She enjoyed reading, music, and watching birds. She loved sewing quilts for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She also loved to bake and you could always find rolls or cookies in her kitchen.
Church was an important part of Helen’s life. She served as a communion minister for thirty-two years at church, and also taking communion to members at their homes or the nursing homes. She was a member of the church choir at St. Peter’s in Defiance and taught C.C.D. classes in Defiance and St. Michael’s for ten years.
In 1991, Helen and Marvin moved to their current home in Harlan where they enjoyed living their retirement years.
Helen died on Thursday, September 3, 2015 having attained the age of eighty-eight years, four months, and ten days. She was preceded in death by her parents, sister Leona Babel, and brothers Leo, Alfons, and Bob Gross.
She is survived by her husband of sixty-eight years Marvin Bissen of Harlan, Iowa; children: Linda and her husband Keith Graeve of Elkhorn, Nebraska, Duane Bissen and his wife Sheryl of Grinnell, Iowa, Pastor Connie Bissen of Omaha, Nebraska, Dennis Bissen and his wife Bonnie of Kimballton, Iowa, Nancy and her husband Leo Kochanowicz of Omaha, and Roger Bissen and his wife DeaAnn of Harlan; seventeen grandchildren; nineteen great-grandchildren; sisters Dorothy Coenen of Woodbine, Iowa and Marie and her husband Charlie Klein of Earling, Iowa; brothers Eugene Gross of Battle Creek, Iowa, Jerry Gross and his wife Sharon of Earling, Iowa, and Vern Gross and his wife Ginger of Palmdale, California; other family members and friends.
She was united in marriage to Marvin Bissen on September 30, 1947 in Earling. They became parents to six children: Linda, Duane, Connie, Dennis, Nancy, and Roger. Helen was proud to be a homemaker, raising her children, and helping her husband on the farms near Earling, Irwin, and Kimballton.
She worked at the Salem Lutheran Nursing Home in Elk Horn, Iowa and later did Home Health care, always demonstrating her love and compassion for others. She was an Avon representative for twenty years and has been a member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas since 1947.
She enjoyed reading, music, and watching birds. She loved sewing quilts for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She also loved to bake and you could always find rolls or cookies in her kitchen.
Church was an important part of Helen’s life. She served as a communion minister for thirty-two years at church, and also taking communion to members at their homes or the nursing homes. She was a member of the church choir at St. Peter’s in Defiance and taught C.C.D. classes in Defiance and St. Michael’s for ten years.
In 1991, Helen and Marvin moved to their current home in Harlan where they enjoyed living their retirement years.
Helen died on Thursday, September 3, 2015 having attained the age of eighty-eight years, four months, and ten days. She was preceded in death by her parents, sister Leona Babel, and brothers Leo, Alfons, and Bob Gross.
She is survived by her husband of sixty-eight years Marvin Bissen of Harlan, Iowa; children: Linda and her husband Keith Graeve of Elkhorn, Nebraska, Duane Bissen and his wife Sheryl of Grinnell, Iowa, Pastor Connie Bissen of Omaha, Nebraska, Dennis Bissen and his wife Bonnie of Kimballton, Iowa, Nancy and her husband Leo Kochanowicz of Omaha, and Roger Bissen and his wife DeaAnn of Harlan; seventeen grandchildren; nineteen great-grandchildren; sisters Dorothy Coenen of Woodbine, Iowa and Marie and her husband Charlie Klein of Earling, Iowa; brothers Eugene Gross of Battle Creek, Iowa, Jerry Gross and his wife Sharon of Earling, Iowa, and Vern Gross and his wife Ginger of Palmdale, California; other family members and friends.
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