Helen DeBoer

Artesia, California- Helen V. (Andersen)DeBoer, 93, passed away July 14th, 2011, at Woodruff Convalescent Home in Bellflower. Interment services will be on Wednesday, July 20th at 11:00 AM at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Cypress. The Memorial service will begin at 1:30 PM on Wednesday, July 20th at New Life Community Church in Artesia, California with Pastor Doug Van Gessel and Pastor Ralph Veenstra officiating. The viewing and visitation with family will be at Whites Funeral Home in Bellflower from 4 PM- 8 PM Tuesday, July 19th.

Helen Vesta DeBoer, daughter of Marius “Mark” and Anna (Dose) Andersen, was born on April 4, 1918 on their farm home near Danbury, Iowa. She started first grade at a country elementary school and the young age of 4. Helen graduated from Oto High School in 1934, just one month after her 16th birthday. Her dad wanted her to attend college right after high school, but Helen wanted to stay home and help out her dad with the bookwork for the farm. For the next 2 years, Helen assisted her father with clerical work, being that he was the Mayor of the town, President of the School Board, President of the telephone company, Chairman of the Oto Township Triple A, Justice of Peace, and worked as the County Supervisor.

Helen attended Midwest Business College in Sioux City, Iowa in 1936. Nine months into school, she was recruited as a Credit Report Writer for Dun & Bradstreet, earning $45.00 a month! After 4 years, she took a leave of absence for health reasons. She went back to work as a secretary for locally farmed Ray Kennedy, at Ray-De-O-Ray Manufacturing Company.

Helen met her future husband, George DeBoer, at the USO in Sioux City, Iowa where she was a volunteer. They dated for a year before he was sent overseas to Germany in WWII. After 5 years of duty overseas, he came back in December of 1945, and then George and Helen married on February 6, 1946. They farmed near Hull, Iowa for 10 years and initially had 2 children, Sherye and Warren. In 1956, they purchased their farm in Inwood, Iowa where they welcomed their third and final child, Kenneth. All five in the family lived here until their move to California in June of 1968, where they purchased a home in Artesia. Helen continued living in the same home after the death of her husband in 1987 until health circumstances advised she move into a smaller home in 2005. That January, she moved into a cottage at the Artesia Christian Home.

Prior to living there, Helen DeBoer had worked in the kitchen of the Artesia Christian Home from November 1971 until July 1973 earning $2.24 an hour. After having foot surgery, she could no longer work in the kitchen, so she attended ABC Adult School to brush up on her office skills. She then worked as a Clerk for the ABC School District, and finally in a permanent position at Whitman Elementary School for the next 8 years until retiring in 1982.

Helen was very active in the church throughout the years, serving in many positions including President of the Guild of Christian Services, Primary Sunday School Superintendent, Secretary of Service, Secretary of Education, Mission Board Director, etc. She loved her church community, loved to help (one of her gifts), and loved her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Survivors include her daughter, Sherye Ayres and son-in-law Richard Ayres of Anaheim, CA, her eldest son Warren DeBoer and his wife Karen DeBoer of Concord, CA, her youngest son Ken DeBoer of Fountain Hills, AZ, 13 grandchildren and one great grandchild; two sister-in-laws, Marge Andersen of Gilmore City, IA and Eleanor DeBoer of Sioux Falls, SD; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband George; three sisters, Marie Andersen in infancy, Evelyn Coon and Mildred Kounkel; and two brothers, Mark Andersen Jr. and William “Bill” Andersen.

Arrangements under the direction of Whites Funeral Home, Bellflower, CA.