Bessie Helen Dupuy was born on April 19, 1907 in Glendon, Iowa. She was one of a dozen children born to William and Martha Helsabeck Dupuy. Bessie spent her childhood days in the Glendon and Menlo Iowa areas. On October 2, 1924, she was united in marriage at the age of 17 1/2 years to John Albert McLuen. John had two sons from a previous marriage, Wayne and Donald, one of whom was 16 years of age at the time of their marriage. Bessie and John had two daughters of their own, Mona and Helen Ruth. Following their marriage, they farmed in the Dale City, Iowa area until John became manager of the Guthrie Center, Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative. At the same time, Bessie also worked there teaching home economics classes, and had other part time jobs working in a funeral home and for a nursery. After John passed away, Bessie took on many challenges like building her own home, being a restaurant cook in Creston, Iowa, and being a house mother at a Simpson College sorority in Indianola, Iowa. Then in the early 1970's Bessie settled in Pella, Iowa, supposedly to retire and be near her daughter, Mickey, and her husband, Tom Downing. However, instead of retiring she went right back to work being a home health aide. Bessie faithfully served several Pella families in this capacity as work was a regular part of her daily life. "Bess" enjoyed bowling and being an active member of the United Methodist Church, but was best known as "the lady who kept Pella clean". For the past eight months, she has been cared for at the Westview Care Center in Indianola, Iowa, where she passed away Friday afternoon, October 11, 1996 at the age of 89 years, five months and 22 days. Bessie is survived by her daughter, Mona Sellman of Guthrie Center, Iowa; her two step-daughters-in-law: Mildred McLuen of Minnesota and Darlene McLuen of Stuart Iowa; a son-in-law, Larry E. Hoksbergen of Pella, Iowa; four grandchildren, Nick, Pam and Jolene (Sellman), Kelly (Downing); seven step-grandchildren; and several great and great-great grandchildren. Of her original family, of which was the seventh, Bessie leaves two sisters: Mildred Cline and Pearl Kirlin, a host of nieces and nephew and numerous other relatives an dear friends. Bessie was preceded in death besides her husband, John, by her daughter, Mickey (Downing) Hoksbergen; a son-in-law, Thomas A. Downing, her grandson, John T. Downing, her two step-sons, Wayne E. and Donald R. McLuen; five brothers, John, Albert, Harmon, Ed and Willard Dupuy, and four sisters, Nellie and Dorothy Dupuy, who died during childhood; Florence Mains and Mabel McIntire. Bessie enjoyed playing the organ, loved kids and thoroughly enjoyed Pella's Tulip Time. She never knew a stranger. Bessie's life was complete with the exception of completing her book entitled "one of a dozen."
