Helen Mae Carriker

Helen Carriker, 90, of Oskaloosa passed away Sunday morning, January 22, 2017, at the Northern Mahaska Specialty Care Center in Oskaloosa. Helen Mae Carriker was born, May 16, 1926, in Oskaloosa, Iowa, the youngest daughter of ten children born to Herman and Elizabeth (Van Rees) Veerman. She was a 1943 graduate of Oskaloosa High School. After her education, she worked at Woolworths and Montgomery Wards. She was married from 1943 until 1968 to Clay Carriker. In 1943, they lived in Vancouver, Washington where she worked at a company that built warships. Later they returned to Oskaloosa where she became the mother of three children, Larry, Dennis, and Vonnie. In 1966, Helen began working at Mahaska Veterinary Clinic where she served as an office manager for 30 years until 1996. During this time, she became a part of the farming community and loved visiting with the area farmers. These farmers, vets and their families became a big part of her life. During the 50’s and 60’s, she enjoyed teaching square dancing throughout southeast Iowa. She helped organize a national square dance festival in Oskaloosa where nearly 1,000 people danced on the street on the east side of the square. Helen was a past member of the Jayceette’s, a group that was instrumental in helping with the Oskaloosa High School building project in the 1960’s. She was also an avid bowler and participated in tournaments in Iowa, as well as a national tournament in Reno, Nevada. She enjoyed traveling, playing bingo, card games with friends, and spending time with her family. Her family and friends always enjoyed being with her due to her fun-loving spirit. She loved people, and they loved her. She shared many good times with numerous friends and family throughout her 90 years of life. She was a life-time member of Central Reformed Church. Her family includes two sons and a daughter: Larry Carriker of Oskaloosa, Iowa, Denny (Susan) Carriker of Cape Coral, Florida, and Vonnie (Carl) Jones of Greenville, Ohio; eight grandchildren: Matt Carriker, Todd Carriker, Melinda Carriker, Stacy Turasky, Leah Henderson, Carrie Bell, Kelsey Jones, and Amy Jones; as well as eleven great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Besides her parents, Helen was preceded in death by five brothers: Herman, John, Roy, Ernest, and Floyd “Bill” Veerman, four sisters: Artie Van Roekel, Henrietta Newenhouse, Nellie Talbert and Dorothy McCombs, and her daughter-in-law, Judi Carriker. A family prayer service will be held at 10:40 in the East Wing of the Church, prior to the funeral. Burial will be in Forest Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m., Thursday, at Garland-Van Arkel-Langkamp Funeral Chapel. The family will greet visitors from 5-7 p.m., Thursday evening. Memorial contributions may be made to the Central Reformed Church.

Helen Mae Carriker

January 22, 2017 - January 22, 2017