Benita Helvick

Benita Helvick, 75, of Humboldt, passed away December 15, 2010 at Tomkins Health Care Center in Fort Dodge.  Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m. Sunday, December 19, 2010 in the chapel of the Mason-Lindhart Funeral Home in Humboldt with the Rev. Gene Broughton officiating.  Interment will be in Trinity Cemetery at Hardy.  Visitation is from 5-8 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home.
Mrs. Helvick is survived by her children, Mary (Steven) Opheim of Fort Dodge, John Helvick of Rutland, and Paul (Linda) Helvick of Colgate, WI; grandchildren, Jesse, Jacob, Joshua, Melanie, and Nicolas Helvick; and her brother, Larry Steffen of Dubuque.  She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Clayton in 2005; sister, Rosemary Clancy; and brother, Jack Steffen.
Benita Steffen, the daughter of Lawrence and Emily Steffen, was born February 27, 1935 at Finley Hospital in Dubuque, Iowa.  She spent much of her childhood in the home of her aunt and uncle, Clyde and Ruth Lusk of Dundee, Iowa.  She received her education and graduated from Dundee High School and attended nursing school in Independence and Cedar Rapids.  On August 11, 1957, she was united in marriage to Clayton Helvick at Dundee and to this union three children where born.  The family made their home in the communities of Norway, Lakota, Goldfield, and Reinbeck where Bonita practiced nursing.  They then moved to Eagle Grove where they owned and operated the Villager Restaurant until moving to Humboldt in 1976.  In Humboldt, Bonita was employed by Farm and Home and the Dairy Queen.  Mr. Helvick passed away in December of 2005 and Bonita soon made her home in Fort Dodge to be closer to her daughter.  She became a resident of Tompkins Health Care Center in January of 2009.  She enjoyed craft work.