A memorial service was held Aug. 8 at Salem United Methodist Church in Paton for Helen Lehman Anderson, 86, of Jefferson.
The Rev David Arulnathan and the Rev Julie Poulsen offered words of comfort. Interment was at the Paton Township Cemetery.
Helen Cole Adams was born April 5, 1929, in Howard County, Nebraska, to Max and Ethel Adams. Her father farmed and moved the family to Lincoln when Helen was 5 years old in order to serve in the Nebraska legislature. He also directed the ATF department for a time, and when he retired from government, he moved his family to Iowa to continue farming.
Helen attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln for one year, and then completed a business program. She worked for one year in Seattle, WA. Following that year, she worked as a legal secretary for David Harris and for Eugene Melson of Jefferson.
On October 28, 1955, Helen married Vern Lehman. They adopted three children and farmed near Dana. The family attended Salem Evangelical United Brethren Church in Paton (later Salem United Methodist), where Helen served as the choir director. Helen and Vern also sang in the Greene Singers.
After Vern died in November of 1974, Helen moved the children to Jefferson where she accepted a position with the Brenton State Bank. She directed the choir at First United Methodist Church in Jefferson. She was active in the United Methodist Women, the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, the Greene County Republican Party, Business and Professional Women (B & PW), MY chapter of PEO, Community Players, and many other civic groups. Upon retirement from the bank, Helen began working as a marketing director for the assisted living community, Evergreene Ridge.
Helen retired again from Evergreene Ridge and married Wayne Anderson, a farmer from Yale. Upon his retirement from farming, the couple moved to Lake Panorama in Panora. Wayne died in December of 1996. Helen moved to Bossier City, LA, for a couple of years to be near her daughters, and then moved back to Iowa and lived at Regency Park Nursing and Rehabilitation Center where she died on August 1, 2015.
Waiting to welcome her to her eternal home were her husband Vern Lehman, her second husband Wayne Anderson, her parents Max and Ethel Adams, her sister Margaret Adams Jamison, and her brother Dale Adams.
Those looking forward to seeing her again one day are her daughter and husband, Laura and Steve Nusbaum; her son and wife, Roger and Brenda Lehman; her daughter and husband, Sharon and Ed Stover; eight grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and many other family members and friends. She is loved and will be truly missed.
Memorials may be given to Salem United Methodist Church in Paton or First United Methodist Church in Jefferson. Memorial services were arranged by Slininger-Rossow Funeral Home of Jefferson.
