RAPID CITY - Helen Sederstrom Barney was born Jan. 20, 1915, at the Sederstrom ranch home at Edson, Meade County, South Dakota to Marie (Paulson) and Emil Sederstrom. She died Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009, at the age of 94 at the Hospice House in Rapid City.

She retired from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a Family Economist for Maternal and Child Health Service in Public Health. Before going to Washington, D.C., she was Family Economist in Resource Development with the Kellogg Foundation and University of Kentucky in the Appalachian area. Helen Barney, as a graduate of Faith High School, earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Home Economics and Science from South Dakota State University at the age of 19 and later a Master of Science Degree from Kansas State University. Before marriage, she worked as District Home Management Supervisor for the Department of Agriculture in New Deal farm programs. From 1959-1964, she was a SDSU Extension Agent with the Indian Program in Rapid City. She taught at Bixby, S.D, Moorcroft, Wyo., Igloo, S.D., and Kansas State University. From 1946-49, the family ranched near Scenic, S.D. After retirement in 1973, she returned to her home in Rapid City to care for her father.

Her house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in June l983. She was a member of the American Association of Family and Consumer Science, Omicron Nu, Phi Kappa Phi, National Organization for Women, American Association of University Women (AAUW), National Association of Retired Federal Employees, Order of Eastern Star, Current Events Club, West Boulevard Association and chairman of the Advisory Board for Home Care and Hospice. She was a member of First Congregational United Church of Christ and the Black Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. She received the following awards: Citizen of the Month, Women Equality Day "Failure is Impossible" Award; the State Outstanding Senior Professional in Family and Consumer Science; State Hospice Volunteer of the Year, and the AAUW named gift honoree to Education Foundation. She established the Helen Barney Research and Projects Grant of AAUW.

Survivors include a son, Jerome Barney (Betty Rae), El Paso, Texas; two daughters, MarGret (Rusty) Barney, Rapid City, and Maree Barney Sutley (Stephen), Fairbanks, Alaska; her brother, Emil Sederstrom, Bellevue, Wash.; and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husbands, William H. Barney and Lawrence C. Coleman; her parents; her brother, Charles; her sister, Cecile Peterson Hershberger; and stepchildren, Lewis, Bill, Adele Teresa, Rex and Russell.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1200 Clark St., Rapid City. Helen had willed her body to the University of South Dakota Medical School. In compliance with her wishes, the family is requesting no flowers. She enjoyed flowers, plants and trees best growing in their own habitat. Every year she planted trees in her own yard, the Scenic Ranch or at their place near Mystic. The family wishes to thank the staff of Hospice House and Dr. Jay Hoffmann and staff for their loving care of our mother. Donations in her memory may be made to Hospice of the Hills, 224 Elk St., Rapid City, SD 57701, the Helen Barney Research and Projects Grant of AAUW, P.O. Box 8146, Rapid City, SD 57709-8146, or a charity of your choice.