Helen DeLance

Helen Clara (Doidge) DeLance was born December 5, 1922, to Albert and Mathilda (Sinjen) Doidge in Dunlap, Iowa. She was the youngest of nine children. Helen attended country school west of Dunlap. On January 4, 1940, Helen married Noel DeLance in Logan in a double wedding ceremony with Lloyd and Ethel Hartwig. The couple farmed west of Dunlap and purchased their farm home in 1943. They moved into town in 1976. Noel died in 1987.

Helen was a member of St. John Lutheran Church and was active with the ELCA. Helen and Noel enjoyed dancing. Helen enjoyed playing the accordion and the mouth harp. She also loved to write poems, collect teapots and at the age of 65 she started to collect dolls. Helen also enjoyed canning and baking.

Helen died on Tuesday, December 18, 2012, at the Dunlap Nursing and Rehab Center at the age of 90 years and 13 days.

Helen was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Noel DeLance; son, David DeLance; son-in-law, Moe Roth; three brothers, John, Harvey, and Louie Doidge, and five sisters, Rose Gibbs, Nellie DeLance, Linda Mesenbrink, Gertrude Doidge and Hattie Dai. She is survived by her two daughters, Janice Roth of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Karen and her husband Milo Rang of Mitchell, South Dakota; six grandchildren; 15 great grandchildren; five great-great grandchildren; sister-in-law, Shirley Doidge of Denver, Colorado; and many other relatives and friends.