Funeral services for Joan Helland will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, March 8, 2025 at Martin-Mattice Funeral Home in Emmetsburg, Iowa. Inurnment is at South St. John’s Cemetery in Cylinder, Iowa.
The family requests that memorials be directed to Palo Alto County Hospice.
Joan Marie (Smith) Helland, was born on a farm near Curlew, Iowa on October 7, 1933, to Riley and Mary Ellen (Smith) Smith. She attended schools in Ruthven, Curlew, and Emmetsburg, graduating from Emmetsburg High School in 1951.
On October 7, 1951 Joan was married to Orville Helland at the Lutheran Parsonage in Cylinder, Iowa. To this union three children were born, Denise, Lori, and Erik. Orville and Joan farmed north of Cylinder for many years.
Joan was a faithful member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Depew.
Orville and Joan enjoyed traveling together and had the joy of going to Norway where they were able to visit farms that had been in their family years ago. They also traveled throughout the United States, spending time in the Florida Keys, Colorado, the Redwood Forest in California and Glacier National Park. Joan also was a member of card club, which she enjoyed a lot.
Joan passed away Thursday, February 27, 2025, at Lakeside Lutheran Home in Emmetsburg, Iowa, at the age of 91. She was preceded in death by her parents, Riley and Mary Ellen Smith; a sister, Rosellen Allen; and one great grandson, Miles Hanson.
She is survived by her children, Denise (Lee) Laaveg of Bemidji, Minnesota, Lori Helland of Little Falls, Minnesota and Erik Helland of New York: grandchildren and great grandchildren, Jessica (Jay) Chipman and their children, Ruby and Cora; Andrea Hanson and her children, Adler, Brooks, Sofie and Carew; Heather (Greg) Wencl and their son, Louie; Luke (Liv) Laaveg and their daughter, Pema; and Erika Helland; as well as many other relatives and friends.
Arrangements by Martin-Mattice Funeral Home
martinmatticefuneralhome.com
