Eva Loene (Helmuth) Grice

Eva Loene (Helmuth) Grice was born on January 31, 1927 to George C. and Lydia Katherine (Ochsner) Helmuth, the oldest child and only daughter. She was born at the family’s farm, on Redfern table, west of Oconto, Nebraska, a home she grew up in and lived in until she was a young woman. This was during the Great Depression and the drought and dust storm years of the 1930s. Hard times were endured and overcome by her family led by loving, hard working parents. Life was good on the Nebraska farm! She attended Montrose Country School and graduated from Ansley High School in 1944, valedictorian of her class. She taught country school for one year. In 1945, when she was 18, Ival Gardner and J. Harvey Watts asked her to come to work for them in their bank, Security State Bank, in Ansley, a job she dearly loved. She worked
there until May 1963 when her family moved to Iowa.

She married Dale Grice on January 11, 1953 in the Ansley Methodist Church and they lived in Ansley for the first ten years of their marriage. During those years Dale worked for Kansas-Nebraska Natural Gas Company. They later owned and operated the Thriftway Market in Ansley for several years. Their first son, Brian Dale, was born on December 24, 1954 at Broken Bow, Nebraska. In August 1962 Dale took a position with Peoples Division of Northern Natural Gas and went to Rockford, Iowa to work. In May 1963 Eva and Brian joined him there, where they made their home for four years. During this time Eva worked part-time for Lynn Smith Insurance & Realty in Rockford and also for First Security Bank & Trust Company in Charles City. On November 21, 1964 their second son, Jon Kent, was born. In May 1967 they transferred to Greene and on November 13, 1967, Jill Katherine arrived to complete the family circle. After nearly 29 years, the marriage was dissolved in November 1981.

Eva continued to live and work in Greene, making a loving home and raising her children. She enjoyed doing creative things and her talents and tastes were reflected in her home. For several years she operated a ceramics studio and shop in her home giving classes and selling gifts. Her greatest joys, however, were her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. In 1973 she began working for the City of Greene, a job she continued until her retirement in 1999, serving the last several years as City Clerk.

While living in Nebraska she was a member of OES (serving as Worthy Matron) BPW, PEO, Methodist Church, and various local organizations. In Iowa she served on the Republican Central Committee in both Floyd and Butler Counties and enjoyed membership in both the Rockford and Greene Past Matrons Organization. She served nine years as a member of the Board of Education for the Greene Community School District, the first woman Board member and the first woman president of the Board. She was baptized in the Methodist Church, Ansley, Nebraska.

On December 31, 1999 she retired after working for over 50 years. In March 2001 she moved from Greene to Humboldt to be near her son, Jon and family. She passed away November 14, 2014 at Trinity Regional Medical Center, Fort Dodge, Iowa.

She is survived by her beloved children, Brian and wife Teresa (Uhlenhopp) of Spokane, Washington; Jon and wife Teresa (Grebner) of Humboldt, Iowa; and Jill Grice Norwood of Marietta, Georgia. Grandchildren Erica and Jon Hansen and son Parker of Bellingham, Washington; Eliott and Jennifer Grice and daughters Emma and Sara of Mill Creek, Washington; Hillary and Kyle Ham and daughters Ella and Kate of Spokane, Washington; Sam Grice and Meg Grice of Humboldt, Iowa; and Kendra, Bayley and Adam Norwood of Marietta, Georgia.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Paul.
A Memorial Service will be held Monday, November 24, 2014 at 3:00 pm at Mason Lindhart Funeral Home, 612 2nd Avenue South in Humboldt, Iowa. Friends are also invited to join the family for a visitation and reception following from 4-6pm.