Helen L. Anderson Kirk was born on April 20th, 1945 in Sioux City, Iowa to Oliver and Wava Anderson. She grew up on the family farm near Alcester, SD and spent her elementary years at Normanna School. As a young girl, Helen first attended North Nathanael Church where she began to develop her Christian faith. She was later confirmed at Nathanael Lutheran Church in Alcester.Growing up, Helen was remembered for designing and sewing clothes, particularly for 4-H Dress Revue, and enjoyed traveling to the South Dakota State Fair, where she was especially proud of her awards. She also enjoyed traveling on the Hiawatha train from Hawarden, Iowa to Chicago to visit her cousins Jeanie, Janet and Patty. Helen graduated from Alcester High School and continued to pursue her interests in design and fashion at Iowa State University where she received undergraduate and master's degrees in home economics. At Iowa State Helen joined the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and served as the house treasurer, and was also active in Angel Flight. In 1968 she married William Edward Kirk in Alcester. After their wedding Bill spent three years as an officer in the U.S. Navy, and Helen enjoyed following him on trips around the Mediterranean.For the next thirty-eight years, Helen dedicated her efforts to raising her family and creating a caring, supportive home in several states and three different countries. Helen and Bill began a family in 1976 with the birth of their first son, Philip, shortly before moving to Japan. In 1980, James was born in Singapore one year before the family moved to New Jersey. In 1987, the family returned to Tokyo for 12 more years before returning to New Jersey in 1999.No matter where she lived, Helen was committed to involvement in the community and growing her Christian faith. In Tokyo, Helen served as president of the school parent-teacher association and was an active member of College Women's Association of Japan. She was also Cub Scout Den Mother and served as president of the American Swim Council in Japan. She was a leader in Bible Study Fellowship in both Tokyo and New Jersey and was an active member of church congregations in Japan, Singapore, and the United States. Upon her return to the U.S. in 1999 she joined the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York, where she volunteered as a greeter at weekly services. In 2000 she also began a master's degree in social work at Columbia University.After over four years of treatment for Multiple Myeloma, Helen died of unexpected complications on October 21, 2006 in Summit, New Jersey. She is survived by: sons, Philip John Kirk of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and James Edward Kirk of New York, New York; sister, Mary Kathryn Treiber; and brother, Robert Eugene Anderson of Alcester, South Dakota.Funeral services will be held 2PM, Saturday, October 28 at Nathanael Lutheran Church in Alcester, SD. Visitation will be Friday from 4PM to 6PM with family present from 5PM to 6PM at Wass Funeral Home in Alcester. A memorial service will be held in New York in November. Nearest AirportsSioux Falls, SD (FSD) 40 milesOmaha, NE (OMA) 150 milesIn lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made "In memory of Helen L. Anderson Kirk" to:Bible Study Fellowship International Fund19001 Huebner RdSan Antonio, TX 78258-or-MD Anderson Cancer Center P.O. Box 4486Houston, TX 77210https://www3.mdanderson.org/devoffice/index.cfm'pagename=donateformen&gift=2&ctw2lan=EN