Helen J. Ristau

Helen Joan Ferrier Ristau, 89, of Mason City, died Tuesday, November 1, 2011, at the Mercy Medical Center North Iowa. Funeral services will be held 10:30 AM, Wednesday, November 9, 2011, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 419 North Delaware Avenue, with Rev. Mark Lavrenz officiating. Visitation will be held 4:00 to 6:00 P.M. Tuesday (November 8, 2011) at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave. and also one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be held in Elmwood St. Josephs Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Bethlehem Lutheran Church, to purchase pew cushions for the Chapel of the Holy Child.
Helen J. Ristau was born December 10, 1921 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, daughter of Ashley E. Ferrier and Pearl L. Nelson. Upon moving back to a farm near Mason City she attended school in the Mason City area. After skipping a whole grade, she graduated from Mason City High School in 1937. Following graduation she attended Mason City Jr. College, where she received a degree that allowed her to begin her teaching career the following year at Mt. Vernon Township #5, a one-room school, grades K-8, during a time when teachers duties included stoking the furnace, shoveling the snow, and teaching everything.
She met Walter Ristau at the December 1939 Birthday Ball at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake. They were married in St. Joseph, Missouri, June 1, 1941. Soon after she and Walt were married, they moved to North Tonawanda, New York, where Walt worked at Curtiss Wright until the end of WWII, when they returned to Mason City. Eventually she returned to teaching and taught for a total of 45 years at rural schools, Central Heights, McKinley Elementary and Roosevelt Elementary in Mason City. She took delight in the fact that she obtained three degrees (BA, MA, and Specialist in Education) from what is now known as UNI. She retired in 1987. During her career she mentored many student teachers and participated in numerous professional organizations. She was nominated for and received the 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award from NIACC, (Mason City Jr. College) as a member of the Class of 1940.
Her family was her greatest love. She and Walt were married for 69 years. Watching both daughters grow up, spoiling grandchildren and great grandchildren were some of her greatest pleasures. Being a word search expert, writing poetry and stories, reading, playing cards, heading North, and getting a hot fudge sundae from Birdsalls were among her many other pursuits. She traveled to many exotic locations sometimes with Walt, and sometimes with her daughters. She rode horses and was very conscientious and knowledgeable about nature and the environment. Through the years she was involved in church activities, and was a devout churchgoer. She was always up for a good debate. Every night at 6:30 you could find her in her blue chair tuned into Wheel of Fortune.
We admired her astuteness and cherished her love of life, her sense of humor, compassion, and generosity. She will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.
Helen is survived by her daughters, Sharon Novak and Debra Hagen and husband Pat of Cedar Rapids, IA. Grandchildren, Kelly McDonald of Austin, TX and Tim McMeen and wife Lisa of Williamsburg, IA (Sharons), and Ryan Hagen of Cedar Rapids (Debs). Great grandchildren, Dylan and Evan McDonald, and Mateo and Josephina McMeen. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her husband, parents, sister V. Ruth Gerber, and brothers Milton, Donald, Melvin, and Dale Ferrier; son-in-law (Don Novak).

Memorials:
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Bethlehem Lutheran Church, to purchase pew cushions for the Chapel of the Holy Child.

Cemetery:
Interment will be held in Elmwood St. Josephs Cemetery.

Visitation:
Visitation will be held 4:00 to 6:00 P.M. Tuesday (November 8, 2011) at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave. and also one hour prior to the service at the church.

Service:
Funeral services will be held 10:30 AM, Wednesday, November 9, 2011, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 419 North Delaware Avenue, with Rev. Mark Lavrenz officiating.