HELEN ANN FREISTEDT

FREISTEDT, HELEN ANN LEIB Helen Ann Leib Freistedt was born on September 15, 1922 in Brooklyn, NY; she passed away peacefully on August 20, 2011, surrounded by family. She grew up in a home built on the land where her grandfather once farmed in Brooklyn. Her father, Philip was a building inspector for the city of New York. Her mother Gertrude died when Helen was a teenager, but fortunately a loving stepmother, Elsie joined the family. Helen was the youngest of three daughters. She is survived by a younger brother, Kenneth Leib, her sister-in-law Jean, two nieces, one nephew, two cousins, her husband of 52 years, the Rev. Robert Freistedt, two sons, John and Christopher, daughter-in-law, Katherine, one grandson, Matthew, and three granddaugh-ters Anna (and her spouse Jose), Samantha, and Jackie, and five great-grandchildren, Monica, Adrianna, Angelina, Jasmine, and Junior. She is well remembered and loved by all in the family. In her earlier years, Helen was an active worker in youth work at Ascension Lutheran Church, Brooklyn, NY and several other congregations. Volunteering as a caravaner for the Augustana Lutheran Church, she traveled throughout the U.S. organizing youth groups. Always an artistic person she studied textile design and began working in that field. Later, she took secretarial training and worked as a secretary for the International Harvester Co. Her interest in church work led her to become a secretary for the National Lutheran Council, a cooperative endeavor of all major Lutheran groups. Because of her skills and unique experience in the Lutheran church, she was recruited to be parish secretary by the pastor of the Historic St. Mark's Lutheran Church, San Francisco, one the few churches to survived the 1906 earthquake. While serving in that parish, she met and married her husband, Robert who then was serving as vicar. She assisted her husband, who became a mission developer, in the organization and founding of Faith Lutheran Church, Santa Rosa, CA. When he received a call to be pastor of Ascension Lutheran Church, Allied Gardens, Helen helped him in his ministry. Over the years at Ascension, she has led the women's group (WELCA), participated as a Sunday School teacher and helped to found a Healing Touch Program. She also regularly visited many members of the parish. Using her talents as a quilter, she started a ministry of making prayer quilts for the sick, baptismal quilts for newborns and quilts for Lutheran World Relief disaster response. When her husband entered active duty as a chaplain with the U.S. Navy, she took training as a Laubach Literacy Tutor. Subsequently, she organized Laubach Literacy programs for foreign born military wives at MCLB Barstow, CA, NS Argentia, Newfoundland and Murphy Canyon Naval House, San Diego. She regularly corresponded with many of her former students who came from Columbia, Mexico, France, Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam and Iran. Furthermore, she maintained contact with these former students and their families even though they were often located at places around the world. Helen won several awards for her art work which included mosaics, water colors, acrylic and oil paintings and various types of quilts. Hundreds of people have been recipients of her beautiful hand sewn quilts. In her memory, individuals who attend her Celebration of Life (Memorial) Service are encouraged to bring quilts they acquired from Helen, and drape them over the pew. Helen was known as a loyal friend, a tireless worker for the Lord, a gentle and loving person. She made friends easily and you always felt comfortable in her presence. She had a knack of finding something positive in the most difficult circumstances. To her family, she was a wonderful wife, a great mother, and a grand Grandma. She will be sorely missed. A Celebration of Life (Memorial) Service will be held at Ascension Lutheran Church, 5106 Zion Ave., San Diego on September 17th at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers the family asks that any donations be sent to the Ascension Lutheran Memorial Fund or the American Cancer Society.