BOONE, Iowa—Helen Jean (Reynoldson) Mattson passed away at the Israel House in Ames, IA on December 6, 2023 at the age of 88. Helen was born January 29, 1935 in Chickasaw County Iowa to Robert and Ruby Reynoldson. She spent her childhood north of Boone, attended Boone High School and graduated in 1953. She often talked about how much she loved her teen years, dancing, roller skating, hanging with friends and working at the A&W Drive-In. She married Lyle Milton Mattson Jr. in 1953 and had 3 children: Jeff, Rick and Lori. She enjoyed her many years working as a telephone operator at Northwestern Bell and then as a switchboard operator at the Boone County Hospital. She loved being useful and hated waste of any kind. She could always be found pulling weeds and picking up sticks in the yard, even if it wasn’t her yard! She knew the value of an education and helped her children and grandchildren at an early age save for college. She enjoyed watching her financial programs so she could help her family members with their taxes and financial planning. She was always very interested and supportive of her large extended family which led to hours-long phone calls keeping her family up to date. Those calls will be missed. She was very frugal but incredibly generous. It was her generosity, empathy for others, and her ability to be happy and content throughout her life that has left such a lasting impact on her family. She lived a full and rewarding life and will be truly missed.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her sisters, Lois Musgrave, Marjorie Holbrook, Kathy Nordstrom and LeAnne Lewiston; sisters-in-law, Mary Lee Reynoldson and Shirley Mattson; brothers-in-laws, Shelby Musgrave, Bill Holbrook, Bob Nordstrom and Bud Webb; niece, Brenda Musgrave and nephew, Jim Musgrave.
She is survived by her 3 children, Jeffery (Lori Ann) Mattson, Richard (Julie) Mattson and Lori (Gary) Clark; 2 sisters, Carolyn Webb and Nancy (Michael) McInerney; 3 brothers, Roger (Betty) Reynoldson, Ronnie (Dottie) Reynoldson, and Denny (Janice) Reynoldson; 7 grandchildren; 9 great grandchildren and many, many nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, July 6, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in McHose Park Shelter.
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