Helen M. Balster

Helen Marie Balster 88, of Cedar Rapids, died September 19, 2010, at Mercy Medical Center, Cedar Rapids. Funeral Mass: 10 a.m. Saturday, September 25, 2010, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Cedar Rapids, by Rev. Christopher Podhajsky. Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday at Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Cedar Rapids, with a rosary at 7:30 p.m. Burial: Holy Cross Cemetery, Anamosa, Iowa. Survivors include her daughter, Janet (Gerald) Stender of Cedar Rapids; two grandchildren; eight great grandchildren; and five great great grandchildren. Helen was born October 7, 1921, in Dougherty, Iowa, the daughter of Edward and Ann (Dougherty) Sweeney. She married John Balster in 1964. Helen was a housekeeper for many families before retiring. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, John; brothers, Jerome, Joe, Jim, Frank and Vincent Sweeney; and two sisters, Arlene Sweeney and Margaret Pencook.