Helen "Jean" Larson

CLEAR LAKE - Helen "Jean" Larson, 76, formerly of Clear Lake and the Grant Village in Mason City, died Tuesday evening (Dec. 6, 2005) at the Rockwell Community Nursing Home, where she was a resident for the past two years.

Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. today at the Fullerton Funeral Home, 123 Second St. S.E. in Mason City with the Rev. Stephen Palo officiating.

The family will greet relatives and friends one hour prior to Jean's services today at the funeral home.

Those wishing to extend memorials or expressions of sympathy may direct them to the Helen "Jean" Larson Memorial Fund.

Cremation has taken place at Cremation Services of North Iowa-Fullerton Funeral Home in Mason City.

Helen Jean Larson was born March 11, 1929, in St. Louis, Mo., to Lorraine and Helen Q. (Kerrigan) Hertel. "Jean," as she was fondly known by her family and friends, attended and graduated from Paulina High School.

Jean was united in marriage to Dale Larson in 1951 and the couple became the proud parents of a son and two daughters. Jean had lived most of her life in the Clear Lake area, however, most recently at Grant Village in Mason City and the Rockwell Community Nursing Home.

Jean is a former member of the Zion Lutheran Church in Clear Lake, the American Legion Auxiliary in Clear Lake and is a former member of the Clear Lake-Melodee Lanes Women's Bowling League and the Mason City Women's Bowling Association, where several years ago she was inducted into the Women's Bowling Hall of Fame at the Rose Bowl Lanes. She was instrumental in forming the Junior Bowling League in Clear Lake.

Jean was a telephone operator for Northwestern Bell in Mason City for many years and most recently was employed at Opportunity Village in Clear Lake until she retired.

Some of Jean's hobbies and leisure activities included cooking and baking, especially pies, watching movies, playing bingo and card games such as Gin Rummy and 500, dancing and spending time with her family. She will be long remembered for her sense of humor and wit.

Jean will be dearly missed by her family and friends who have shared in her life.

She is survived by her three children, David Larson (Trish Strandsky) of Kalona, Iowa; Jane (Joe) Shultz of Mason City and Jill (Gerald) Symonds of Rockwell; her former husband, Dale Larson; her three brothers, Lorraine (Colleen) Hertel of Branson, Mo., Charles Roseland of Dallas, Texas, and Gary Hertel of Michigan. Jean will also be a cherished memory of her 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, Lindy Larson and her daughter, Allison, Kaylin Larson, Jared Larson, Andy Shultz, Megan Shultz, Michael Shultz, Elizabeth Symonds and her son, Brayden Maine, Quinn Symonds, William Symonds and Tony Symonds, and numerous other relatives and friends.

Preceding Jean in death are her parents, Charles and Helen Roseland and Lorraine and Lucille Hertel.

Thoughts, condolences and stories may be e-mailed to the family on the www.fullertonfh.com Web site.

Fullerton Funeral Home and Cremation Service, (641) 423-8676.

www.fullertonfh.com