Helen Marie Kovarna Hathaway

Helen Marie Kovarna Hathaway was born on September 1, 1921 to Adolph and Frances (Vondrak) Kovarna in their rural home 4 miles north of Sioux City.  She and Frances were attended to by Doctor Sloane via house call, which cost Adolph $28.  Leona, her older sister and best friend, framed this canceled check for Helen and it hung in their home always.

Helen passed away Thursday evening January 9, 2020, peacefully in her sleep at Sunrise Retirement Community in Sioux City, Iowa, where she received excellent care.  She was 98 years old.  Helen Hathaway’s Celebration of Life will be held at Meyer Brothers Funeral Home, 3220 Stone Park Boulevard, Sioux City, Iowa on February 15, 2020 at 3:30 to 5:00 pm.

Helen attended Perry Township Country School until 6^th grade and then on to West Junior High, graduating from Central High School in1940.   While she went to the town school she lived with Adolph’s sister Mayme (Kovarna) and Mert Holtz in Sioux City.  She meets the love of her life, William (Bill) Staddard Hathaway, while she was working as a switchboard operator at St. Joseph Mercy College of Nursing and they were married on July 15, 1949.  After they were married Helen and Bill moved into Bill’s grandmother’s (Lulu Hathaway) home on Helmer Street.   Helen worked as a secretary at the Sioux City Board of Education for 18 years.  She was also a personal care giver to a number of seniors.  Helen and Bill had a wonderful marriage of 49 years.  They both enjoyed traveling, Sunday drives, dances, convertible rides, entertaining, a trailer on the river or a trailer on Adolph and Frances’ lawn.  Both Helen and Bill had a fabulous sense of humor and often inspired laughter.   

Helen was a talented and creative artist.  She sewed, painted, sculptured, made paper Mache figures, floral arrangements and assisted Leona (her sister) in most of her art projects.  Helen wrote poems, made cards and corresponded via letters with many friends and family.  Many of her letters included illustrations to further embellish her message.

She enjoyed gardens and watering flowers, especially while her sister, Leona, weeded the gardens she had just watered.  Helen loved nature and animals, especially dogs, but also loved a cat named Shorty.  After Leona passed away Helen spent several years living at Leona’s farm.  She thoroughly enjoyed living on a farm.  There she would count the wild turkeys at the feeder, watch the birds, and feed the wild raccoons and opossums that visited her front door in the middle of the night. 

Helen enjoyed cooking for people, reading and trying new recipes.  Often she would share her fudge and divinity or an apple pie with anyone.  Helen was a people person and always found time to visit with friends and family.

Most people referred to her as Auntie, and she brought effervescent joy to all the people she encountered.  Helen was consistently happy and positive with a wonderful outlook on life.  Leona used to say two things about Helen, first she was generous to a fault and she never knew a stranger.   Helen loved children; although she never had biological children she did have a community of children.  She held and “Haa haaed” every baby in our family and most of them in the community.   In 1993 she held “Baby Karl” for the first four days of his life, not allowing anyone else to hold him with the exception on the nursing mother (Mary). 

Helen survived her parents, Adolph and Frances, her husband Bill, Bill’s father Harold and step mother Mildred, her sister and best friend Leona, Leona’s husband Clifford and all her many first cousins with the exception of one (Dar Hartman).   

The loved ones that remain to cherish fond memories of Helen are: David Boison and Jeanne, Lana and David Pavlik, Mary Ward and Dennis Eichinger, Eric Pavlik, Nora Figi, Hillel Killorn, Amy Pavlik, Giancarlo Baldino, Arlo Baldino, Anja and Eli Kelley, and Karl Eichinger.  In addition to these people that will miss her are her brothers-in-laws Pete and Ann Hathaway, Bob Hathaway and Mary Beth McGinnis and Joel and Jane Hathaway.  Helen’s nieces and nephews on the Hathaway side of the family are: Eric and Jennifer Hathaway, Holly and Ryan Roberts, Dr. Chris and Casandra Hathaway, Sarah and Matt Meland, John and Renee Hathaway, Kayla Hathaway and Mike Edmondson, and Justin Hathaway

In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made in Helen’s name to the Sioux City Humane Society at 1015 Triview Ave. Sioux City 51103, telephone number 712-252-2614.