Helga A. Staker, 89, of Reinbeck, died Saturday, December 29, 2007 at Covenant Medical Center. Helga was born October 4, 1918 in Black Hawk County, Iowa, the daughter of Sofus and Ingeborg Larsen. She graduated from Reinbeck High School in 1936.

Helga Larsen married Alvin Staker December 18, 1937 at Walnut Street Baptist Church in Waterloo. He died October 18, 2001. She owned and operated Fashion Fabrics in Reinbeck for many years before retiring in 1980.

Helga was active at her church serving as Sunday School Superintendent as well as Sunday School teacher. She was a two term member of the Reinbeck City Council as well as the original member of Reinbeck Community Homes for Seniors from 1970 to 1997. She was an avid and vocal Democrat serving with the Grundy County Democrats.

Helga was active with her hands both as a seamstress and an artist. She made dresses and costumes for her and her daughters. She also crocheted afghans and enjoyed oil painting.

Surviving Helga are her 4 children, 14 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren: daughter Diane Barnidge of Middleton, WI and her 4 children: Angela (Nick) Bartley and daughter Isabella, Melani (Kevin) Swiggum and children Cameron, Lindsey and Aidan, TJ (Vicki) Barnidge and daughter Katharine, and Cory Barnidge; daughter Cindi (Tom) Dorsey of Hudson, IA and their 6 children: Jeff (Janet) Dirks and children Olivia, Adam and Alexandra, Jennifer (Joel) Nesheim and children Austin, Jillian and Garrett, Andrea (Martin) Pfleiderer and children Madison and Alec, Kyle Dorsey, Rick (Phong) Dorsey and children Lance and Samantha; and Sherry Booth and her children Christopher McConnell, Ryan Booth and Jamie Booth; son Daniel (Lynne) of Frontenac, MN and their 2 children: Danielle (Erik) Calhoun and son Everett and Justin (Molly) Staker; and son Cal (Joan) of Arlington Heights, IL and their 2 children: Mark (Alicia) Staker and Kathleen Staker. She is also survived by 4 brothers: Don of Pensacola, FL, Ernie and Iner of Reinbeck, and Wallace Larsen of St. Louis, MO; and sister Marcella Saitta of Creve Couer, MO.

She is preceded in death by a brother Burge; 2 sisters Selma Wrage and Oda Downey, and 2 sisters in infancy both named Elva.