Helen Lorraine Reko

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 4, 2019, at 1:30 PM, at Hope United Methodist Church in Blue Earth, with Rev. Russ Jacobsen officiating. Visitation time will be from One hour before the service at the church.

Helen Lorraine Scearcy Reko was born January 9, 1922 to Ollie Belle (Smith) Scearcy and Jesse William Scearcy at their rural home near Welcome, MN. She was the 9th of 10 children (two died before her birth). She attended rural schools near Fairmont and the Trimont-Ormsby area, three years of high school at Fairmont and her final year at Blue Earth - she graduated in 1940. She enjoyed school and her favorite subjects were reading, writing, geography, history, music and speech. She participated in choruses in both Fairmont and Blue Earth Schools.

On December 18, 1940 Helen and Herbert Reko were married at Immanuel Evangelical Church (which became E.U.B, then United Methodist and later part of Hope UMC).             

Their farm home was blessed with three daughters: Janet Rose, Margaret Louise, and Nancy Ellen, and a baby boy who died at birth. The family lived at the Reko family home place (century farm) northeast of Blue Earth until 1980 when Herb & Helen built a new home nearer Blue Earth and Nancy & Bob Steinke moved to the home place.

Helen was active in her church.  As a child and teenager, she looked forward to attending church camp at Lake Koronis near Paynesville for a week each summer. She taught Sunday school for 49 years and was a youth director for many years. She sang in the choir, was involved with circles and the lady’s organizations through all the name changes from Ladies Aid to United Methodist Women.  In the 1960s she worked with the migrant workers in the Blue Earth area and, together with the ladies of the local Catholic Church, organized a thrift store and summer school for them, updating their health records and Polio immunizations. Helen loved attending the Minnesota Conference School of Christian Mission which met for several years at Gustavus Adolphus College.  She later served as Assistant Dean and then Dean of the School. She served United Methodist Women at the district level in the Southwest District. She was a delegate to the Annual Conference for four years, and together with her husband attended many ordination services.

Helen served 14 years on the United Hospital District Board after her son-in-law, Bob Steinke, started a write-in vote campaign!          

Helen’s interest in Scripture led her to enroll in many Bible Studies through the years, and in her 89th year she took part in the Read the Bible in 90 days class.

Helen enjoyed her journey through life, especially her roles as mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She loved being a NA at St. Luke’s in the 1960s and often stayed after work playing the piano for the residents as they gathered waiting for their evening meal.

She was a firm believer in local and foreign missions. She loved people of all ages and defined a stranger as someone you haven’t yet met. She believed our lives are greatly influenced by each person we touch shoulders with. She enjoyed hearing from nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends. She always placed importance on family - both the Scearcys/Rekos and extended church family.

Helen was the last of her generation in both the Reko and Scearcy families. At 4:23 a.m. on January 28, 2019 she stepped into heaven to join her loved ones there.