Helen attended rural county school and graduated from Decatur High School in 1935. In 1937, she graduated from Jennie Edmundson School of Nursing in Council Bluffs, Iowa, as a Registered Nurse. She moved to Chicago, Illinois, where she continued her career of nursing, working at several hospitals. During World War II, she was the public health nurse for Teletype, traveling throughout Chicago to care for employees.
 

On August 30, 1941, Helen married Peter Kraucunas. They had two children, Debbie and John. In 1948, they moved to Nebraska to farm in Burt County, where she still resided. Peter passed away in 1973. Helen continued her nursing career in Nebraska at area hospitals.  In 1964, she became administrator of Tekamah Nursing Home until retiring in 1982. Helen married George Kahlandt April 26, 1976; six stepchildren were added to her family. George passed away in 1991.
 

Helen was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Tekamah, VFW Auxiliary and neighborhood extension club.

She loved crocheting afghans, growing flowers and gardening on her farm. One of her passions was collecting antiques and studying their history. She and niece, Jane Judt, had an avid interest in studying genealogy to complete their family history. Helen loved mowing her lawn with her John Deere tractor mower. Following her retirement, Helen made decorated birthday and wedding cakes for many family members.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Peter Kraucunas and George Kahlandt; brothers, Lloyd and Riley Williams; brother-in-law, Lavern Fleischman; niece, Lucretia Reno.

Survivors include her sister, Lucille Fleischman of Oakland, NE;  daughter, Debbie Speck of Omaha, NE; son, John P. (Lana) Kraucunas of Decatur; six stepchildren, George (Sandra) Kahlandt of Decatur, Larry (Virginia) Kahlandt, Lloyd (Mary) Kahlandt, Kathy (Steve) Chatt all of Tekamah, Cindy (Stan) Sudduth of Denver, CO, Sue (Jamie) Swanson of Omaha,  five grandchildren, Tracy (Steve) Bagley, Amy (Pat) Daniel, Jake Speck, Jesse Speck, Valerie Kraucunas; seventeen step grandchildren, Rob Chatt, Cindy Chatt, Kristy Consalvo, Laura, McElmuray, Charles Kahlandt, Kris Kahlandt, Kevin Kahlandt, Ben Sudduth, Luke Sudduth, Dan Kahlandt, Kory Kahlandt, Gabe Sudduth, Peter Sudduth, Jacob Sudduth, Stanford Swanson, Connor Swanson, Rosie Swanson; two great grandchildren; five step-great grandchildren; many nieces and nephews.

MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL: Tuesday, September 10, 2013, 10:00 a.m. at Holy Family Catholic Church in Decatur.

VISITATION: Monday 4 - 8 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. Vigil Service at Pelan Funeral Home in Tekamah. Visitation Tuesday will be held at the church one hour prior to the service.

BURIAL: Hillcrest Cemetery, Decatur.