Helen J. Foss

Helen J. Foss, age 97, of Riceville and formerly of Latimer, passed away Saturday July 25, 2015 at Riceville Family Care and Therapy Center.

Funeral services for Helen J. Foss will be held at 11:00 A.M. Friday July 31, 2015 at the Dugger Funeral Home, 320 East Street in Latimer. Pastor Donna Ihns of the Riceville United Methodist Church will officiate. Burial will take place in the Alexander Cemetery east of Alexander.

Helen Jeanette (Martin) Foss, the daughter of Dr. John F. and Elsie June (Sawtelle) Martin, M.D., was born November 25, 1917 at the Franklin General Hospital, Hampton, Iowa. Helen attended Latimer Public School and graduated in 1935. She entered Drake University 1935 and earned a B.E. Degree in1939. During her years at Drake, she became a member of Delta Gamma Sorority, Delta Psi Omega (honorary dramatic fraternity), Drake University Chorus, and she participated in many theater productions. She also completed graduate studies at the University of Iowa, the University of Colorado, and Drake University. She taught Secondary Language Arts and Speech at Calmar Public School, Calmlar, Iowa; Roosevelt Junior High School, Richmond, California; Breckenridge High School, San Antonio, Texas; and the last sixteen years of her teaching at CAL Community School, Latimer, Iowa. Following her teaching years she served on the board of Northern Trails Area Education Agency for three years. She was also a member of the National Council of Teachers of English, the Drake University Theater Alumni Association, and the Cedar Valley Retired Teachers Association. She was a member of the Latimer Park Society, Hansen-Have Auxiliary, Candlestick Chapter of DAR, Chapter AC of PEO and a member of the United Church of Christ. Her hobbies were reading, music, and golf. Her greatest joy was her grandchildren, spending time with them and attending their activities. She was united in marriage to Norman W. Foss on January 11, 1945. The couple made their home in Latimer, Iowa (where they raised their four sons,)

Left to cherish her memory are four sons: John and his wife Carol of Esko, Minnesota, Edwin (Ned) and his wife Nancy of Bend, Oregon, Robert (Bob) and his wife LuAnn of Colfax, Iowa, and William (Bill) of Riceville, Iowa. Five grandchildren share happy memories of her: Dr. Daniel Foss, D.C. and wife Margarita, of San Antonio, Texas, Christine (Foss) Smith and husband Lauren of Portland, Oregon, Brian and Jason Foss of Colfax, Iowa, and Jared Foss and his wife Lindsey of Polk City, Iowa. Four step great-granchildren: Naihla, Noel, Penelope and Arthur complete the family.

She was preceded in death by her husband Norman, her parents (Dr. John and Elsie Martin, M.D.) and her brother Richard (Rick) Martin.