Helen Lorene Achenbach Siefken Hobel joined the family of Alice Sehlampp and Abner Achenbach, the 3rd child of 9, December 23, 1925, in Tipton, Iowa. She died April 18, 2026.
Early education was in Iowa schools and high school graduation at Anamosa. Graduation week was also wedding time during World War II. She married Eldon Le Roy Siefkin that week. 52 weeks later she was his widow when a kamikaze plane hit the hospital ship USS Comfort, carrying the wounded to Guam.
After attending Prairie Bible Institute and Ozark Bible Institute, she met and married Lee Eldon Hobel on December 25, 1950. The couple lived in Oklahoma, California and Iowa. They had two sons, David and Stephen on their move to Hong Kong as missionaries; there Mark also joined our family.
At this time the couple was blessed to have Corrie-ten-Boom in their home when she came to speak to their churches in the Oriental Missionary Society and were privileged to attend the Billy Graham crusade in Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Returning to the USA they lived in Iowa, Texas and then moved to Arkansas in 1968. She worked at Campbell-Bell as a buyer and clerk, followed by 10 years at U of A. She joined University Baptist church and shared the fellowship of a weekly worship team for 12 years at City Hospital. The Merry Heart and the Kitchen Bane visited multiple Care Centers over 12-plus years. The memorable lunched shared with prayer-bible study groups and the White Rock Ext. Clubs were old fashioned “good times” playing music from 40-60’s and the older hymns have always lifted her spirits. She was preceded in death by her two husbands, parents, three brothers; 3 sisters; brother in-law; sister in-laws.
Helen is survived by three sons, David Hobel of Fayetteville, Stephen Hobel and his wife, Sherry of Farmington, AR, and Mark Hobel of Fayetteville; sister, Jean Rekemyer; brother, Tom Achenbach; sister in-law, Jeanette Achenbach.
Graveside service will be 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at Farmington Cemetery in Farmington, Arkansas. http://www.heritageofnwa.com.