100 years after her birth in a Ford Model T near Hale, Iowa, Helen Wiese went to her rest on December 12th.
The oldest daughter of Clarence and Florence Miller, she and younger sister Clarice grew up and attended school in Nichols, Iowa.
After graduation in 1941, Helen moved to Davenport to take business classes at American Institute of Commerce. Shortly after, she became an office clerk for Metropolitan Life Insurance and met future husband Clarence Wiese at the Coliseum Ballroom. They were married on December 1, 1946, and shared 51 years of marriage until his death in 1998. They raised three sons together.
In later years, she amazed others with her active life. She was prolific at needlepoint, filling Christmas stockings and church bazaars with seasonal decorations. In her late 70s, she embraced her Mac computer, tracking stocks in a spreadsheet, typing recipes and letters, corresponding by email, planning travel, and contributing to a historical project about Nichols Public School. She used her iPad to share photos at high school reunions, send email, and keep up with her growing family on Facebook. She wrote and published her life history in 2018.
Helen is survived by sons William (Nancy) of Maitland, Florida, and Larry (Suzanne) and Allyn of Davenport; five grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.
She was a long-time member of Faith United Church of Christ in Davenport. A celebration of life will be held there on January 14th at 1:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the church in her memory.
