Helen (Loewen) Neufeld, 75, of Inman, died Saturday morning, January 4, 2020 in Wichita’s Woodlawn Wesley Hospital due to congestive heart issues and kidney failure.
She was born on May 25, 1944 near Hague, Saskatchewan Canada, to George and Helena (Peters) Loewen. Early days for Helen involved helping the family on the farm, and attending a local rural grade school entitled “Venice” near Hague. Often in those days, traveling to school meant being pulled by a horse drawn wagon during warmer weather and bundling up in a horse drawn sleigh on bitter winter days. Her family for several years moved to Alberta during summer months to work in the sugar beet fields to supplement family income. Later, as a young woman, Helen worked as a caregiver mentoring a sister’s children who was having major health issues. She also worked as a seamstress for a coat manufacturing company in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. During the sixties, Helen began working as a nurses’ aide in a nursing home at the Saskatchewan Mennonite Youth Farm in Rosthern, Saskatchewan. During this time she met and married Arnie J. Neufeld at the Hague, Sask. Mennonite Church on December 15, 1967, who was serving a two year voluntary service term during the Vietnam Conflict.
After moving to Kansas, the newly wedded couple, located in the Inman area, where three children were ultimately born, two sons and a daughter.
These three and seven grandchildren are among Helen’s survivors. They include son: Darcy and daughter-in-law Peggy (Schlickaue, Hutchinson, and their four children Payton, Haydnn, Landon and Ashlyn; daughter, Tammy Neufeld, Thayne WY; and son Cory and daughter-n-law Michelle (Riley) and their three children Avery, Harper and Dakota, Inman. Other of Helen’s family who are survivors include Mary Loewen, sister-in-law; Maria Wall, sister; Jake Zacherias, stepbrother; sister-in-law Eva Zacherias, all of Saskatoon; Pete and Ann Loewen, brother and sister-in-law, British Columbia, Canada; Sylvia Loewen, sister-in-law, Calgory Alberta, Canada
Those who preceded her in death include: parents; Logan Neufeld, grandson; Tena Stefan, sister; Cornelius Loewen, brother; George Loewen, brother; Frank Zacheria, stepbrother; and Bill Loewen, brother.
Helen was a very warming, loving grandma to all of her children and grandchildren, she would do anything for them. She was a very caring person. This was clearly displayed and emphasized as she worked for over 43 years as a nurses’ aide and medication aide while employed at Pleasant View Nursing Home in Inman, while working only at night during that entire span. She was a woman of many talents and interests. She was a great baker and could create almost any cuisine from scratch. She loved the natural world, taking many hikes with Arnie and the kids and taking rides to observe all kinds of birds and animal wildlife. She loved growing flowers, raising, producing and selling vegetables off of our one acre garden that she and Arnie toiled for nearly 30 years. She volunteered for numerous organizations including church, McPherson County Council on Aging, various senior centers in McPherson County, The McPherson Farmer’s Market, McPherson Kiwanis Club, the Mennonite Relief Sale and the MCC Meat Canner. The central Kansas area has now lost a beautiful human being and will be missed by anyone who knew her.
A viewing and visitation for Helen will be held at Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main St, Hutchinson, on Thursday evening, January 9, 2020, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. A celebration of Helen’s life will be held on January 10, 2020, at 10:30 a.m. at First Mennonite Church, 52 Rambler Road, Hutchinson.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the First Mennonite Church.