Helen Emken

Helen Emken, age 90, formerly of Giltner and Aurora, died Thursday, August 19, 2004 at Tiffany Square in Grand Island.

Funeral Services will be held 10:30 A.M., Monday, August 23rd at the First Christian Church in Aurora. Rev. Sam Fox will officiate. Interment will be in the Aurora Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 P.M. Sunday at Higby-McQuiston Mortuary in Aurora. A memorial fund has been established in the name of Helen Emken. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at higbymortuary.com.

OBITUARY: HELEN EMKEN

Helen Alberta Emken, the daughter of Ross and Gertrude (Lee) Thompson, was born near Mt. Pleasant, Iowa on May 17, 1914 and died in Grand Island, Nebraska on August 19, 2004, at the age of 90. When she was six years old, her parents moved to a farm near Aurora, Nebraska. She attended rural school through the 8th grade and graduated from the Aurora High School in 1931. She attended Wesleyan University for two summers and then taught four years in two rural schools south of Aurora.

Helen was united in marriage to Fred E. Emken on September 1, 1935. They farmed near Hampton, Aurora, and Phillips for several years. On March 1, 1950, they moved to their farm north of Giltner where they farmed until their retirement in 1975. They then moved to Aurora. Fred passed away January 9, 1989. After living in Aurora for 24 years, Helen moved to Riverside Lodge in Grand Island, Nebraska in November, 1999.

Helen was a member of the First Christian Church in Aurora. She was very active in her church and she enjoyed extension clubs, gardening, and playing cards. She was a member of the Memorial Hospital Auxiliary as well as volunteering at the Plainsman Museum. Helen enjoyed spending time with her family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her twin brother, Harold Thompson.

Those left to cherish her memory are her son and daughter-in-law, Rodale and Renate Emken of Holdrege, daughter and son-in-law Jean and Roger Taylor of Lakeland, Florida, five grandchildren and their spouses: Ingrid and Jeff Erickson of Phoenix, Arizona, Drs. Karen and Jerry Evans of Fond da Lac, Wisconsin, Brenda and Monte Roetman of Kearney, Letisha and Dan Gordon of Lutz, Florida,Troy Taylor of Atlanta, Georgia, and six great grandchildren.