Dr. Helen (Tarasenko) Sprengel-Lutz, 93, Redland, CA, formerly of Butte, ND, passed away Thursday, June 6, 2019 at Redland. A graveside service will be held Sunday, June 30, 2019 at 2:00 P.M. at the Butte Cemetery in Butte, ND. Arrangements with Nelson Funeral Home of Drake.

Dr. Helen Jane Tarasenko Sprengel-Lutz was born on October 21, 1925 in Butte, North Dakota, and died on June 6, 2019 in Loma Linda, California. Helen's parents, William and Elizabeth Tarasenko moved from small towns near Kiev, Ukraine in 1902 as small children. Their parents settled on farms near Butte, North Dakota, where William and Elizabeth met and were married in 1916. Helen was the fifth of their six children. She worked on the family farm milking cows and driving the tractor as a young child.

At age 13, Helen left for Sheyenne River Academy, now Dakota Adventist Academy in Bismarck, from which she graduated in 1943. She studied pre-nursing at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska and continued her nursing education at Glendale Sanitarium and Hospital School of Nursing, graduating in the class of 1947. Helen was a life-long student. She continued her studies over the years at Loma Linda University School of Nursing earning a Bachelor's degree in Nursing in the 1960s. In the 1970s, she commuted to the University of California, Los Angeles, graduating with a Master's degree in Healthcare Administration. The 1980s found her commuting to Lawrence

University in Santa Barbara where she graduated with a doctoral degree in Philosophy of Education Administration in 1982.

On June 20, 1949, Helen married Reuben Albert Sprengel, the first wedding in the La Sierra University Seventh-day Adventist Church. They lived in Loma Linda and Glendale, California while Reuben continued his medical studies and residency while Helen worked as a nurse. While in Glendale, they had two daughters, Kaye Elizabeth and Jean Evelyn. They moved to Escondido, California in January of 1957 where Reuben opened a practice in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

In 1958 Helen and Reuben received an invitation from the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists to serve as missionaries to the Bangkok Adventist Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. Taking their two young daughters, Dr. Sprengel became Chairman of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, and Helen, Director of Nursing Services. During this time, Helen expanded the nursing school to include a curriculum for Licensed Vocational Nurses. She also conducted three choirs every Sabbath morning, at the Thai, Chinese and English churches, and conducted a choir of the missionaries who sang songs from their homeland. In addition, she taught conducting classes, gave piano lessons to missionary children and hosted guests untiringly in their home.

In 1966 they returned to the United States, moving to Fresno, California where Dr. Sprengel practiced his specialty with Drs. James Schooley and Elton Morel. Helen worked as an Assistant Hospital Administrator at Fresno Community Hospital, an Associate Nursing Services Director at Valley Medical Center, and in 1977 became

Chairperson and Assistant Professor of the Nursing Education faculty at California State University, Fresno. She continued to use her love of music to conduct the choir at Fresno Central Church, contributing to the Sabbath services as well as performing multiple cantatas with choir and orchestra.

In 1987, Helen and Reuben returned to Thailand at the invitation of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, to serve an additional 8 years. This time they left their grown daughters and grand-children in the United States. During this time Helen was requested to write the curriculum for a senior college to be built in Thailand. Since there were no moneys for such a project, she also served as the fundraiser. She wrote about this experience in a book called, "God's Miracle". It was followed by another book, "Fleeing The Spirits", about conversion experiences of some of the Thai people.

Mission College opened in 1990, two years after Helen and Reuben returned to Fresno. It was government accredited in 1994, just in time for the first class to graduate. It was also debt free. In 2009, Mission College received University status and was renamed Asia Pacific International Adventist University, but Helen always lovingly called it Mission College. Helen and Reuben had another stint in Thailand from 2001 to 2003. During that time, Helen was the Secretary of Education for the Far Eastern Division, traveling to inspect the schools within the division. These mission experiences were filled with love for the people of Thailand and a delight in being class sponsors to nursing classes graduating in 1961, 1966, 1991, and 1995. Helen was thrilled when her youngest grandson, Scott, and his wife, Deneé, spent a year in Thailand teaching at Ekamai International School as a new generation learned to love the Thai people.

After the death of Dr. Reuben Sprengel on September 5, 2003, Helen married Mr. William Lutz on December 17, 2005 in a church wedding in the Clovis Seventh-day Adventist Church. They continued to live in Fresno, California where Helen continued to serve the Fresno Central Seventh-day Adventist Church as Sabbath School Superintendent and Director of the Sanctuary Choir.

Helen is survived by a host of family and friends who will miss her dearly.