Helen Ione Carlson, 97 of Rhame, ND, passed away on Friday May 18, 2018 at the Southwest Healthcare Long Term Center in Bowman, four days after her 97 birthday.

Funeral Services for Ione will be on Saturday, May 26, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church in Rhame.  Pastor Mark Nygard will officiate with burial to follow in the Tuttle Cemetery.  Visitation for Ione will be on Friday, May 25, 2018 from 9-9 at the Krebsbach and Kulseth Funeral Home Chapel.

Ione Carlson was born on May 14, 1921 to Conrad and Helen (Jorgensen) Larsen at Griffin, ND. She was raised on the farm south of Rhame where she attended rural Langberg School and then Bowman High School. On July 22, 1939 she married Milford Carlson in Baker, MT. They farmed until 1946 when they moved into Rhame where they lived most of their lives. While raising five children, Ione worked at the grocery store and then became a postal clerk alongside her Postmaster husband. She was proud of her Scandinavian heritage and had a flair for incorporating that into everyday life and home décor. She was always busy with crochet, embroidery and sewing where she would fashion most of the family clothing from scratch. She was an amazing cook and constantly entertained family and extended family for many holidays and special events. She was a member of the hobby club, belonged to a bowling league and the Kilkare card club, but her priorities were always with First Lutheran Church, where she attended all of the women's activities and in later years devoted many hours to making quilts for world relief and charity organizations.

Ione was preceded in death by her parents, husband of 61 years Milford, brother Henry and sister-in-law Marian Larsen, son-in-law Gary Rue, brother-in-law Dwaine Getz, brothers and sisters-in-law Vernon and Ann Fossum, Herb and Jeannine Carlson, Arnold and Bernice Carlson, Donald and Beverly Carlson and nephew Jon Carlson. She is survived by her two sons, Conrad (Kaydeen) Carlson of Bismarck, ND, Greg (Polly) Carlson of Rhame, ND, three daughters, Janice (Clarence) Corneil of Dickinson, ND, Judy (Dennis) Idler of Glasgow, MT and Dianne Rue of Rhame, sister, Pat Getz of Amidon, ND, ten grandchildren, twenty four great grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren.