Helen was born on April 4, 1926, and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the daughter of Andrew and Ruth Van Vleck and older sister to Dorothy, Ruth and Betty. As a young woman she found her passion for helping people and attended the University of Iowa, graduating as a Registered Nurse. It was there she met and married her first husband, Maynard DeNeui. Helen and Maynard moved to Kansas City, Missouri, then to Fulton where the DeNeui family became an active part of the community.
Helen lost her husband Maynard in 1972, but she found happiness again, marrying George Ferguson in 1975. With that marriage she added more family, more new friends and found new activities like quilting, canning and hunting. She lost George in 2008.
Helen touched many lives in Fulton and will be remembered for her volunteer work as a nurse at the American Red Cross blood mobiles and at the Girl Scout day camps. Helen loved helping people. She taught her children to give of themselves when she checked in on the elderly, drove them to meetings at church and helped with shopping. She was a Cub Scout leader and a long-time Girl Scout leader, always making kids feel special and welcomed, going out of her way to help any child who needed a ride or a uniform or encouragement.
Helen was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands, Maynard DeNeui and George Ferguson, niece Debbie Achenbach, brother-in-law Arthur Achenbach, sister and brother-in-law Dorothy and Wiley McCalley and stepson J.R. Ferguson.
She is survived by her sisters Ruth (Robert) Naaktegboren and Betty Achenbach, son Richard (Lia) deNey, daughter Kathy (Ed) Brandt), daughter Marilyn (Harold) Farley, stepdaughter Georgia (Darrel) Haymart, nieces Beverly Jean Shelton, Rebecca Harris, Cynthia Kaegi and Roxanne Gingrich, nephews Robert Naaktgeboren, Dennis Achenbach, Edward Achenbach and Russell Naaktgeboren, grandchildren Laura (Mustafa) deNey-Bhagat, Aimee, Victoria, Alexander, Nathalie, Julia and Sam deNey, Shana (John) Loyd and Cody (Julie) Farley, and nine great grandchildren.
No local funeral services will be held. Graveside services will be at Oak Shade Cemetery in Marion, Iowa, on Saturday, February 23rd.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts or charity of your choice. But we know that what Helen would really want you to do is to reach out to your family and friends and anyone in need to provide all the love, comfort and help you have to offer.
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