Helen Margaret Ruebel

Helen M. Ruebel, died on January18, 2019 2 weeks before her 105th birthday. Services will be held on Sunday, January 20th at 1:00 PM at Laufersweiler - Sievers Funeral Home in Fort Dodge, IA. Survivors include her children, Sally (Rodney) Amlie of Humboldt, IA; Arthur "Tom" (Carol) Ruebel of Gardner, CO; Janet (James) Bergman of Norwalk, IA; 8 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren, and 3 great great grandchildren. Helen Margaret Steig Ruebel was born February 2, 1914 in Storm Lake, Iowa to Henry Leroy (Pat) Steig and Anna Matson Steig. She had an older sister, Lucile Barnes and a younger sister, Ruth Porter. She grew up on a farm north of Storm Lake, graduated from Storm Lake High School in 1931 and attended Buena Vista College for two years. While attending college she met Arthur Kenneth Ruebel. They were married August 14, 1933. They had three children, Sally Ruth, Arthur Thomas, and Janet Helen. She and Art first lived in Burnside, Iowa next in Blairsburg, Iowa, where she was the wife of the teacher and coach. They moved to Grafton in 1935. There was only one church in Grafton, a German Lutheran Church where the school superintendent and his wife were expected to attend. Once each month the service was in German which neither of them understood. Sally was born in 1935. In 1937 they moved to the country where Art was the superintendent of Vernon Consolidated School in Humboldt County. There was a house for the school superintendent on the property. When they moved to Ames in 1941, she kept house in a tent while Art built their 4 room home. They lived in the basement as he finished the upstairs. She worked in a glove factory and at the kitchen in the Iowa State Memorial Union to help make ends meet until Art was inducted into the Army. Then she received money from the Army so she could retire from the factory and stay home to take care of Sally and baby boy Tom who arrived in 1944. After they moved to Ft. Dodge, Iowa in 1944 she was the telephone receptionist and bookkeeper for Art's vet practice. She also assisted Art during surgery at the vet practice. Jan was born in 1945 so she had two babies, 13 months apart as well as a 9 year old and was on constant call for the phone. In 1945 they moved to Spirit Lake, Iowa. There she had a large home to care for, the three young children and was still anchored by the phone. Helen also was the bookkeeper for the Spirit Lake Grain Exchange which they owned. Helen was an innovative seamstress who could make a dress for herself or a little girl's clothes without a pattern. She also made matching doll clothes. She enjoyed knitting and made many sweaters, caps, mittens and scarves for her children and grandchildren. She also knit many articles for underprivileged children. As her family grew and she had more free time she became a very proficient bridge player, enjoying her contact with a wide circle of friends. She was a member of LBU and DAR. She liked antiques and beautifully refinished several pieces. She started a Quester chapter in Spirit Lake and was a member for many years. She is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Her homes were an important part of her life and she enjoyed decorating them, making them welcoming for her friends and family. In 2007 she and Art sold their lovely home on the south shore of Spirit Lake and moved to Friendship Haven in Fort Dodge. On August 14, 2008 they celebrated their 75 years together by hosting a family party at their home in Kenyon Place. When Art died in December 2009, they had been married 76 years, Helen continued to make her home at Friendship Haven until the fall of 2018 when she moved to Des Moines. Celebration Of Life Sun, Jan 20, 2019 at 1:00 pm Laufersweiler-Sievers Funeral Home 307 South 12th Street Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501