Helen R. Reafleng

HELEN RUTH REAFLENG, one of seven children of Guy and Ruth Alma (Jenkins) Skinner, was born on April 20, 1925 on her parent's farm near Arcadia, Nebraska, not far from the Middle Loup River. Helen grew up in Arcadia where she graduated from high school in 1943.
Following school, Helen moved to Malvern, Iowa where her sister and husband lived and where she began working at the Swanson Egg Plant. She met E.B. Lamm and they were married in Hiawatha, Kansas in 1946. The marriage was blessed with a son, Richard James. The family moved to California and in 1966, Helen returned to Iowa. She began working at the local laundry in Glenwood, which was eventually purchased by Unitog.
Helen and Billie L. Reafleng were married on March 21, 1975 in Plattsmouth, Nebraska. They made their home on a farm near Glenwood until Bill's retirement when they moved to Pacific Junction, Iowa. Helen stayed with Unitog for a number of years until she began work in the laundry department at the Glenwood State Hospital School. Helen and Bill liked to travel, shared many cruises, and loved to fish. They had been married nearly 32 years when Bill died on April 13, 2007. Helen was soon diagnosed with congestive heart failure and eventually moved to the Glen Haven Home in Glenwood. She died at the home on July 16, 2007, at the age of 82 years, 2 months, and 26 days. She was preceded in death by her husband Bill; her parents; brothers Alonzo Skinner and Donald Skinner; brothers-in-law Owen Dyke and Lee Deitchler; nephews Lanny Skinner and Douglas Deitchler.
Helen is survived by her son Richard Lamm of Shenandoah, IA; four grandchildren, Lisa McCall of Villisca, IA, Lori Bare of Omaha, NE, Rick Lamm of California, and Adrianna Lamm of Shenandoah; twelve great grandchildren; sisters Theodsia "Dodie" Oleson and her husband Frank of Burlington, IA, Betty Dyke of Shenandoah, and Dixie Deitchler of Glenwood; brother Gerald Skinner and his wife Eileen of Nashville, TN; sister-in-law Cathy Skinner of Huntsville, AL; nieces and nephews; other relatives and friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Odyssey Hospice of Omaha, NE.