Helen Louise (Whitaker) Wiese, 93, Rapid City, S.D, formerly of Luverne, died Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2002, at Wesleyan Health Care Center in Rapid City.
Services were Saturday, Nov. 23, at First United Methodist Church, Rapid City. The Rev. Doug Diehl officiated. Burial was in Mt. View Cemetery.
Helen Bachman was born to George and Anna (Plautz) Bachman on Sept. 12, 1909, in Odebolt, Iowa. She grew up on a farm near Beresford, S.D., and graduated from Beresford High School in 1926. She received her teaching certificate from Eastern State Teacher’s College, Madison, S.D., in 1927, and taught in a country school for two years. She attended Nettleton Commercial College in Sioux Falls, S.D., from 1929 to 1931. She then worked for three companies with adjoining offices doing bookkeeping and secretarial work.
She married Harold Whitaker on Aug. 20, 1934. They moved to Rapid City and began a heating, air conditioning and roofing contracting business known as Whitaker & Mattson. Mr. Whitaker died in 1966. She went back to work in the office of Whitaker & Mattson.
She married Emil Wiese on Feb. 14, 1973, and moved to Luverne. Mr. Wiese died in 1986. She returned to Rapid City to be near her family in 1996.
Mrs. Wiese was active in church work, Eastern Star and the United Commercial Travelers Auxiliary.
Survivors include one son, Dr. Ren (Beverly) Whitaker, Prairie du Chien, Wis.; one daughter, Janice (David) Grow, Rapid City; one stepson, James (Gail) Wiese, Brooklyn, N.Y.; grandchildren, Janna and James Morris, Blackhawk, S.D., Jodi and Reese Kor, Piedmont, S.D., Jeff and Jenny Grow, Hillsboro, Ore., Jay Grow and special friend Linda Bruss, Lake Crystal, Rohm and Debbie Whitaker, Casper, Wyo., Jody and Monte Stull, Lees Summit, Mo., Jill and Michael Koch, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; stepgrandchildren, Anna and Ben Miller, Brooklyn, and Allison Wiese, Houston, Texas; 12 great-grandchildren; four stepgreat-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Mrs. Wiese was preceded in death by her first husband, Harold Whitaker, second husband, Emil Wiese, one brother, Albert Bachman, and one sister, Margaret Young.
Memorials have been established for the Methodist Church and the Grow Family Scholarship fund at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
Osheim-Catron Funeral Home, Rapid City, was in charge of arrangements.