Helena M. Mulder

Helena M. Mulder was born to Tom and Grace (Tinklenberg) Vanden Bosch on April 28, 1932 at their home in Battle Plain Township of Rock County, Minnesota. She was raised there and attended the Edgerton Christian School through the tenth grade. Helena spent her last two years of high school at Western Christian High School in Hull, Iowa, graduating in 1950. For the next two summers, Helena attended a teaching certificate program at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan and moved to Prinsburg, Minnesota for her first teaching job. It was there that she met the man she would later marry, Clifford Mulder. Helena continued to teach in Prinsburg for two years before continuing her career in Edgerton, Minnesota for another two years. Helena and Cliff were united in marriage on June 1, 1954 at the First Christian Reformed Church in Edgerton. The two made their first home in Colorado Springs, Colorado where Cliff was stationed in the military. Two years later, they relocated to Willmar, Minnesota and Helena and Cliff continued to raise their growing family. Cliff was later stationed as a state trooper in Austin, Minnesota, so the family relocated to Austin. In 1962, they made their final move to Pipestone, Minnesota and lived in town for several years before building their log home on an acreage five miles outside of Pipestone. The couple shared their home there until Sunday, January 6, 2019 when Helena passed away at the age of 86 years, eight months, and nine days at the Pipestone County Hospice House.

Helena was an active member of the Christian Reformed Church in Pipestone and served as a leader of the Calvinette Club, Coffee Break Bible study and Willing Workers service group. She loved singing hymns and songs of praise & worship in church. Helena was a talented gardener and had a green thumb. She also enjoyed knitting, crocheting, sewing and reading. Helena and Cliff spent many winters in Arizona and to pass the time, Helena took up quilting. Her family will treasure the white, crocheted baby blankets that she made for her grandchildren. As a loving wife Helena took interest in Cliff's activities and hobbies. She always made sure the family was prepared for their camping trips by making games for the children during car rides and even setting out song options to sing around the campfire. Helena was happy to participate in fishing trips as well. She was a very loving wife, mother, and grandmother. Her faith was a driving force throughout her life and she took advantage of opportunities to pass it along to others as well.

Helena will be remembered by her husband, Cliff of Pipestone; children, Jacque (Doug) Halbersma of Pipestone, Lorelei (Arvin) Schelhaas of Pipestone, Melody Tolliver of Phoenix, Arizona, and Narla (Ron) Hulstein of Edgerton; 11 grandchildren, Jeremy (Rebecca) Schelhaas, Kayla (Eric) Reuer, Travis (Rachel) Schelhaas, Jason (Brittney) Prinsen, Thomas (Krystal) Prinsen, Steven Prinsen, Nicole (Patrick) Bietz, Connie (Todd) Nordell, Vance Hulstein, Matthew Tolliver, and Chloé Tolliver; and 19 great-grandchildren, along with her three sisters and two brothers. She was preceded in death by her parents, Tom and Grace Vanden Bosch; daughter, Kolleen Mulder; sons-in-law, Joseph Tolliver Jr. and Art Prinsen; granddaughter, Michelle Schelhaas; great-grandson, Isaiah Reuer; and sister, Florence Hibma.