Helen Lou Linser

December 6, 1923 - May 7, 2012

In the early morning hours of Monday, May 7, 2012, Helen Linser of Arcata peacefully passed from the loving care of her children, Wes, Lana, Laurie and LeAnn to rejoin her husband Leslie F. Linser.

Helen was the first of five children born to Jessie Ruth and Jens Hendrick Mathiesen Jensen in the small farming community of Avoca, Iowa. During her high school years, Helen was an "outstanding student" and a "star player" on the girls' basketball team, being referred to as "that sharpshooting forward" and playing in the Iowa State championship. Following high school, Helen earned a teaching degree from Peru College in Nebraska and proceeded to teach in a one-room schoolhouse.

In the summer of 1943, Helen and a teaching friend traveled to Eureka, California, to visit the friend's uncle. At the end of the summer, the friend returned to Iowa while Helen decided to stay and work in the office of the WWll Dry Docks in Eureka. It was there that she met and subsequently married Leslie F. Linser, a descendant of a pioneering Southern Humboldt ranching family.

Helen and Les settled in Arcata, where Helen resided for 67 years. When Les had an opportunity to lease a small grocery store on the Samoa peninsula, Helen went out to the store on Sundays to help him while the two elder children picnicked on boxes in the back warehouse. With the business expanding, Helen and Les purchased land on the peninsula and had a larger store constructed. This store, Manila Market, became a center and gathering place of the Manila community.

When les passed away in 1990, Helen with her son Wes, daughter LeAnn, and loyal employee Darren Reis continued to operate the market until its closure in 2006 after 56 years of continuous operation by the Linser family. In addition to helping with the family business, Helen served as the head bookkeeper at Hensel's Hardware in Arcata for many years.

Helen will be remembered by her four children as a very loving and talented mother. Along with raising four children, Helen and Les welcomed her orphaned youngest sister, Jon Jensen, into their home in 1955, where she lived during her high school years.

Helen supported her children in all of their activities, including leading a Camp Fire Girls group in Arcata and persuading the International Founder of Camp Fire, Edith Kempthorne, to visit Humboldt County.

Helen is survived by her children, Lana Fawcett (Ken) of Ashland, Oregon, Wesley Linser of Arcata, Laurie Hackney (Jeff) of Blue Lake and LeAnn Schuetzle of McKinleyville.

She is also survived by her three prized grandchildren, Amy Hackney of Los Angeles, Andrew Hackney of Chico and Allyson Schuetzle of Ferndale. Other survivors include her sister Doris Zylinski of Napa plus numerous nieces and nephews.

Helen was preceded in death by her husband Les, her brother Robert Jensen, sister Joyce Jensen Bonebright and sister Jon Jensen Emerick.

The family is particularly grateful to Dr. Leo Leer for his dedicated care and to Joe Reis and the employees of the Eureka Rehabilitation & Wellness Center for their support of Helen in her final days.

As per Helen's request, there will be no funeral services. Care is under the direction of Paul's Chapel in Arcata.

To leave condolences for the family, please visit www.paulschapel.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Humboldt County Historical Society, P.O. Box 8000, Eureka, CA 95502 or to charity of your choice

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