Mueller, Helen Hiebert (1912-1975)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1976 Jan 1 p. 11

Birth date: 1912 Apr 1

text of obituary:

HELEN HIEBERT MUELLER

Helen H. Mueller was born April 1, 1912 in Mt. Lake, Minn. to Jacob D. and Anna (Janzen) Mueller. Her illness about five years ago was diagnosed as Parkinsonism and later as the Shy-Drager syndrome. Since Aug. 1, 1975 she had been in the Lutheran Home and, while asleep early Sunday morning, Dec. 14, 1975, left to awake "on that beautiful shore beyond." Her strong faith and hope sustained her.

Helen graduated from Mt. Lake High School, then from Bethel College in 1933. She worked for a while in the General Conference Headquarters office when Missionary P. A. Penner was manager. Friends of Camp Mennoscah will remember her as being much interested in and active with the camp and work of the young people. Later, in Wichita, she worked in the office of Wichita High School West as secretary to one of the principals. In Cape Girardeau, Mo. the last 13 years she was a substitute teacher, then a full-time teacher for a period of about four years before she had to give it up.

Helen's interests were varied and her convictions were strong as evidenced in her work for young people and at Camp Mennoscah. She liked to write, especially poetry. The last years she was also much interested in arts of various kinds, being a member of the Stitchery Group of the Faculty Dames, and for some years a member of the local Art Guild.

Surviving her is her husband, Adam Theodore Mueller, who has been a college teacher most of his life. For 12 years before his retirement June 30, 1974 he taught in the Business Department at Southeast Missouri State University. Since then he has devoted his time to caring for Helen and raising and selling iris and daylillies.

Also surviving are two sons, Ted and wife Berneil of Grinnell, Ia. and Lyman and wife Arlis of Twin Falls, Ida.; eight grandchildren; and three sisters, Mrs. John (Ruth) Moyer of San Luis Obispo, Calif., Sara Marie Penner of Quincy, Mass., and Agatha Klassen of Wichita, Kan.

Soon after marriage on June 7, 1932, Helen began to have trouble hearing. Following years of wearing a hearing aid she had surgery on both ears, and one was very successful. Her desire to help led her to donate her ears (temporal bones) to the National Temporal Bone Bank, and the rest of her body to the Missouri Medical School. She wished, upon her death, that instead of flowers donations be made to this bone bank.

A memorial service was held on Dec. 16 in the St. Mark Lutheran Church with Pastor Michael McPherson in charge.