Obituary of Helvi Wuorenma

Helvi Irene Wuorenma (nee Ahola), 94, of Zion, died on Monday, March 23, 2009 at Rolling Hills Manor Nursing Home in Zion. Helvi was born January 22, 1915 in Bovey, Minnesota. For 54 years, from 1953 until 2007, she lived on Yorkhouse Road in Waukegan until moving to Barton Senior Residences in July of 2007. In 1931 Helvi quit school when her father died to help her mother run the family dairy farm in Trenary, Michigan. For a period of ten years shw worked for the Stone family in Kemlworth, Illinois and always talked of how much she learned and how she enjoyed the family. On January 24, 1948 she married the late Sulo J. Wuorenma. She was a member of St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Waukegan since 1947. She was a housewife and homemaker except for the years 1948 to 1952 when she worked at Victory Memorial Hospital in the kitchen. Through St. Mark's, Helvi was a faithful service volunteer (food pantry, meals on wheels, alter guild, collating team, etc.) and became involved with Church Women United in her later years. She loved reading, singing and meeting people. She was compassionate beyond measure, especially to someone experiencing pain of any kind, and was a very good listener (although she also loved to talk). She was a fiercely loyal friend and relative. She had a gift for business that was never fully expressed " although her family never lost its farm in the Depression even when others all around were losing theirs, and she could sell an amazing amount of tickets each year for a favorite fund-raiser at St. Mark's. She loved seeing new building projects and may have been one of the few who thought airport runways were beautiful. However, she loved most her farm roots and often said that the happiest times in her life were haymaking with a group of family and neighbors. She loved her hometown of Trenary and found great happiness in continuing to own part of the original family farm. She survived many serious cancers and other illnesses but always considered herself healthy and fortunate. Survivors include her daughter, Ruth Wuorenma and her life partner, Frank Seever through whom she gained new treasured family - grandsons Gary (Dalea) and Adam (Meg) Seever; great-grandchildren, Alec and Elle; nephews Sheldon (Bev) Ahola, Charles (Stella) Dreyer, Leo (Lorry) Dreyer, John (Jan) Martinson, and Pete (Barb) Haapala; and nieces, Sheila (Phil) Cormier, Ann (Robert) Carothers, Linda (Doug) Clairmont, Louise (John) Floodstrand, and Gertrude (Ed) Kidwell and their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Sulo J. Wuorenma; her parents, Arthur and Sofia Ahola; brother Neil Ahola; sisters, Agnes Hakkarinen and Sylvia Koepp; and nephews, Allen Ahola and Carl Hakkarinen. She was also preceded in death by the five sisters of her husband and his twin brother, Toivo. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2009, at 12:30 p.m at St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3350 North Delany Road, Waukegan, with Pastor Jeffrey Koth officiating. Interment will follow at Northshore Garden of Memories, North Chicago. Visitations will be Friday, March 27, 2009 from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. at the CONGDON FUNERAL HOME, 3012 Sheridan Road, Zion and again on Saturday, March 28th from 11:30 until time of services at St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church. Nothing is expected but for those who wish to make a memorial contribution in lieu of flowers, the following would be welcome options: (1) St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 3350 N. Delany Road, Waukegan, IL 60087 (847 244 7870) or (2) University of Illinois Foundation/Library, checks payable to UIF/University Library with a note that the gift is in memory of Helvi I. Wuorenma, and mailed to the attention of Roxanne Frey, University of Illinois Library, Room 227, 1408 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801 (217 333 5682).