Helen Yahnke

Helen (Berg) Yahnke, age 84 of Lake Crystal, died Friday, May 29, 2009 at Hillcrest Health Care Center.

A service of celebration will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, June 6, 2009 at Garden City Christian Church with Rev. Tom Johnson officiating. A family burial will be at Lake Crystal Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Friday at Lake Crystal Mortuary and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday. Memorials are preferred to VINE Faith in Action, which is a Christian volunteer organization to help the needy in Blue Earth and Nicollet Counties of South Central Minnesota.

Helen Irene was born on October 5, 1924 in Mankato to Andrew and Julia (Thayer) Berg. She attended the First Baptist Church in Mankato until the age of 11. After they moved to Garden City, she attended the Garden City Baptist Church. Helen was a 1943 graduate of Garden City High School.

During World War II, she worked nights at Art's DeLuxe Hamburger Shop in North Mankato. On February 24, 1944, she married Dale Yahnke at the Garden City Christian Church, where she became a member in April 1944. They lived on farms in the Garden City area and moved to the Lake Crystal area in 1948. They farmed until 1988.

Music was of special interest to her throughout her lifetime. She played an Eb Alto Horn during her four years in high school and later played trumpet, harmonica, piano, and organ. She sang in the church choir in Garden City and in later years in Mesa, AZ, where they spent their winters. One highlight in her musical interest, was touring the birthplace of Frederick Chopin, Poland's most famous composer, while on a trip to Europe in 1971. Dale and Helen enjoyed traveling to many of our states, eight countries in Europe, four of the Hawaiian Islands, several trips through Mexico, a cruise along the west coast of Mexico and a Caribbean cruise.

Helen taught Sunday school in Garden City for eight years, was secretary of the Christian Women's Fellowship for several years, a member of Circle and a member of the Yadsendew Neighbors Extension Club for a number of years.

Helen is lovingly survived by her husband of 65 years, Dale Yahnke of Lake Crystal; three children and their spouses, Steven and Janet Yahnke of Lake Crystal, Audrey and Dave Eiler of Emily, Marvin and Shirley Yahnke of Frost; ten grandchildren; eleven great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren. Helen was preceded in death by her parents, two stepfathers, three sisters and their spouses.