Mass of Christian Burial for 97 year old Helen Wilson Schmitz of Atlantic will be Saturday, May 22nd at 10:30 AM at the St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Harlan. Visitation will be Saturday, May 22nd from 9:30 AM until the time of the service at the church. Burial will be at the Harlan Cemetery. The Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan is in charge of arrangements.
Helen Goetz Wilson Schmitz daughter of Aloyius and Cecilia (Stoltz) Goetz was born November 23, 1923 at Dunlap, Iowa. She attended country school until 3rd grade when the family moved to Panama, Iowa. In high school she enjoyed singing in the church choir.
She married Joseph Wilson, and 3 children were born to this union, Jerry, Janice, and Linda. After the death of Joe, she married Verner Schmitz.
Helen was a Surgical Technician in the Surgical Department at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan for 53 years. She received her education at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Carroll, Iowa, and Mercy Hospital in Council Bluff, Iowa. Later, she assisted with eye surgeries, and received her training at the Omaha Eye Institute. Helen assisted many doctors, and specialists from Omaha that came to Harlan. Helen loved her job and enjoyed assisting all the doctors that she worked with.
Helen spent countless hours as a volunteer. She served on the Council at the Senior Center in Harlan, faithfully taking blood pressures. She was a member of the Elm Crest Nursing Home Auxiliary, Vice President of the V.F.W. Auxiliary. She was a member of the Myrtue Medical Center Auxiliary and served on the Hospital Auxiliary Board. She worked at the Red Cross Blood Drives for 35 years. She was a courier for the Hospital Laboratory, taking blood where needed. She was also honored as the Volunteer of the Year, an honor she was very proud of.
She was an active member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church and was a Eucharistic Minister and helped with preparing and serving funeral luncheons. She retired and remained in Harlan until moving to Atlantic in 2015. She enjoyed traveling, quilting, sewing, playing cards, crossword puzzles, visiting with people and being with family and friends.
Helen died on Monday, January 4, 2021 at Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, attaining the age of ninety-seven years, one month, and twelve days. She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, Joe Wilson and Verner Schmitz, and infant daughter Linda, infant grandson, Joseph Book. Her brothers, Donald Goetz, Bill Goetz, sisters, Alyce Rasmussen, Agnes Goetz, and Theresa Muell.
Survivors are her children: Jerry (Bev) Wilson of Seattle, Washington; Janice (Bob) Book of Atlantic, Iowa; seven grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.
