Helena Marie Smedsrud

Helena “Marie” Smedsrud, 91, of Mason City, Iowa, formerly of Decorah, Iowa, died Monday, October 21, 2013, at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit, following a brief illness. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 P.M., on Saturday, October 26, 2013, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 213 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, Mason City, with Pastor Kathy Graves officiating. A private inurnment will be held at a later date at Old West Paint Creek Lutheran Church Cemetery in Waukon, Iowa. Memorials may be directed to Trinity Lutheran Church (World Hunger Fund). Helena Marie Prestemon was born February 23, 1922, to Idelia (Grangaard) and Alvin Prestemon. She was baptized and confirmed at Old West Paint Creek Lutheran Church in Waukon. She attended Jefferson School from grades 1-8, where her maternal aunt Olga Grangaard was schoolteacher. She graduated from Waukon Senior High School, and obtained her undergraduate degree in Biology at St. Olaf College in Northfield. She then attended Fairview Nursing School, attaining her ‘cap’ and her R.N. On Aug. 9, 1945, she was united in marriage with W. Gordon Smedsrud at Old West Paint Creek Lutheran Church. In her younger years, Marie and her sister Gwen enjoyed singing duets, winning many ribbons in school contests. She continued to enjoy singing as long as she was able, and was a member of the choir in many of the congregations to which she belonged over the years. She also taught Sunday School, and served faithfully in so many ways, in the role of ‘The Pastor’s Wife,’ in those congregations, and in the Luther College community. Marie also loved to garden, and treasured her greenhouse. She was a member of the Decorah Garden Club, and especially liked raising orchids. She also enjoyed the outdoors, with many family camping trips and other outdoor adventures and travel bringing her great pleasure. In 1985, she and her sister, Gwen, traveled to India to volunteer in Mother Teresa’s homes for the destitute and dying in Kolkata. She was happy to have the opportunity to travel to Norway with her family in 1973. She cherished her Norwegian heritage and was a devoted keeper of family history, and passed that value on to her own family. Marie loved to sew, cook, do crossword puzzles, play Scrabble, and especially, to read. Her Bible was the most tattered book in her possession, and is marked with many underlined favorite passages. She stayed active in Bible study and attending worship up until the last few months of her life. From 1977-1987, Marie and Gordon established a retail music store/antique business in Decorah, “The Emporium,” and Marie was the “go-to” lady for the latest vinyl releases and ran the store, while Gordon made the rounds to auctions. Marie was a loving and devoted wife to her husband of 58 years, Gordon, and took enormous pleasure in spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. After Gordon’s death in 2004, she moved to Cornerstone Assisted Living in Mason City, where she met and married George Huber in August of 2007. George passed away in April of 2009. However much Marie loved and cherished her family and friends, her highest love and devotion was to her Lord. Those left to cherish her memory are her son, Rick Smedsrud of Chapin, South Carolina; daughter, Rachel (Rae) Busch and her husband, Kevin, of Garden City, MN.; grandchildren, Chris Smedsrud and his wife, Tricia, of Roseville, MN., Karin Smedsrud of Northfield, MN., Ashley (James) Hummel of Iowa City, Molly Smedsrud of Minneapolis, and Sarah Busch of Madelia, MN.; great-grandchildren, Kirstyn Schmidt of Le Center, MN., Jacob Schmidt of Le Center, MN., Marisa Smedsrud of Roseville, MN., Abegail Smedsrud of Roseville, MN., Taylor Smedsrud of Northfield, MN., and Kalvin Hummel of Iowa City; loving family members of the George Huber family; sisters-in-law, Clarice Ebner of Preston, MN and Marian Smedsrud of Waukon; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Marie was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Gordon; her second husband, George Huber; her sister, Gwen; and a granddaughter, Emily.

Cemetery:
A private inurnment will be held at a later date at Old West Paint Creek Lutheran Church Cemetery in Waukon, Iowa

Memorials may be directed to Trinity Lutheran Church (World Hunger Fund).

Service:
A memorial service will be held at 3:00 P.M., on Saturday, October 26, 2013, at Trinity Lutheran Church