Helen Theresa Johns

Aberdeen: Mass of Christian burial for Helen Theresa (Mock) Johns of Aberdeen will be concelebrated by Fr. Timothy Mock and Fr. Joe Holzhauser at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Aberdeen.

Helen passed away Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010, at ManorCare Health Services, surrounded by her loving family.

Helen was born Sept. 10, 1917, in Aberdeen to Walter and Magdalena Mock. Helen was the fifth of 10 children: Alexander, Elizabeth (Sr. Leonilla Mock O.S.B.), Mary (Sr. Clare Mock O.S.B.), Genevieve Mock, Kathryn Sampson, Agnes Witkowski, Martha Hill, Bernard (Fr. Timothy Mock C.M.M.), and William (Fr. David Mock C.M.M.).

Helen pursued a life-long passion for learning. After graduating from Aberdeen Central High School, she attended business college. She went on to graduate as a registered nurse from St. Catherine's College in St. Paul, Minn. After raising seven children, she returned to school and received degrees in child development, and sociology and speech pathology.

On Aug. 23, 1947, Helen was united in marriage to Frank Edward Johns at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Aberdeen. To this blessed union were born seven children: Hon. Timothy R. Johns Ret. (LeAnn), Theresa Cler (Anthony), Thomas Johns (Donita), Mary Holman (John), Catherine Kempf (Greg), Elizabeth Peschong (James), and Christine Marie Johns. She has 13 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

Helen was preceded in death by her loving husband and her special angel, Christine.

Helen demonstrated her strong commitment to public service through her involvement in her church and community, and was honored as Aberdeen's First Lady of 1987 for her tireless efforts. During her lifetime she held numerous local, state, and national offices in service organizations. Helen served as the state regent and as a national director of Catholic Daughters of the Americas, was a member of the South Dakota Special Olympics state board of directors, served as state president and district chairman of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, was state president of the American Legion Auxiliary, served as a board member of the Food Pantry, was a division leader of the Help Committee of the Salvation Army, and presided as the first local president of the Right to Life, president of the St. Mary's Altar Society, and president of the St. Luke's Hospital Auxiliary.

Helen was recognized in 2007 by the National Ladies Auxiliary of the VFW as an "Outstanding Community Volunteer" for the many volunteer services she performed during her lifetime. Helen was chairman for resettling a Vietnamese family of 14 into her community. She organized and was principal for her parish CCD program and organized the Home and School Association for her parish school. She was a Scout leader and camp nurse for over 16 years. She was a member of the South Dakota Association for the Retarded Citizens for over 50 years and volunteered for the Special Olympics until her death.

Helen was a Red Cross disaster nurse, a nurse and volunteer for hospice, a patriotic instructor and cancer aid and research chairman for the local VFW Auxiliary and hospital chairman for the South Dakota VFW Auxiliary. She was named Ambassador for South Dakota by then-Gov. Richard Kneip, was named a 1983 Outstanding Alumni at Presentation College, and was a runner-up for the 1985 South Dakota Mother of the Year Award. Through her involvement with the Women of the Moose, Helen was awarded the 1995 "International Co-Worker of the Year for Dakotas." And most devoted to her faith, Helen was a eucharistic minister at her church and served in that capacity at St. Luke's Hospital until she was over 90 years old.

We were blessed to have shared our lives with Helen. Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20, at Schriver's Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, 414 Fifth Ave. N.W., with a liturgical wake and Catholic Daughters of the Americas rosary at 7 p.m.

The family prefers memorials, which will be directed to Helen's favorite charities.