Helen Marie Hellie

HELEN MARIE HELLIE was born to Peter O. and Selma (Lossius) Remme on February 26, 1921 on the family farm in Vienna Township of Rock County, Minnesota. She was raised on the family farm near Kenneth, Minnesota, alongside her father’s first family, Olaf, Albert, Peter, Elfie, Adolf “Duffy” and Edwin; her brothers, Peter and Lloyd; and her sisters, Lillian, Eleanor and Beverly. Helen was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. After she graduated from the eighth grade, she stayed home to help her dad on the farm. With Olaf being friends to Kenneth Hellie, he offered to set him up with a date with one of his sisters so Kenneth pointed to Eleanor, but because of a misunderstanding Helen showed up on this blind date. It must have been love at first site because Helen was united in marriage to Kenneth on June 15, 1940 in the Blue Mound Church of Kenneth – a marriage which lasted for the past 72 years. Following their wedding, they moved to Kenneth’s farm three miles west of Ihlen, Minnesota. There they lived, raised their children, and farmed. Helen worked along side Kenneth on the farm, milking cows, raking hay, and raising chickens. In 1993, they moved into Pipestone. On March 29, 2012, Helen became a resident of the Good Samaritan Communities of Pipestone where she died on Friday, March 1, 2013 at the age of 92 years and three days.

Helen was a member of the Jasper Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jasper, Minnesota where she participated in the church circle and the Ladies Aid and sang in the church choir. In her younger years, she was very involved with 4-H activities. Throughout their married life, she and Kenneth enjoyed fishing, dancing, traveling to various destinations including Hawaii and Norway. She also enjoyed playing the organ and the piano by ear, and continued playing at Good Sam until just a few weeks ago. She did many needlepoint projects, and painted scenic pictures. Helen was very talented in many areas including reupholstering Kenneth’s pickup truck, sewing Janice’s wedding dress, and of course, preparing many tasty meals for her family. She had a wonderful sense of humor which the staff at Good Sam really appreciated.

She is lovingly remembered by her husband, Kenneth Hellie of Pipestone, Minnesota; her son, Darrell Hellie and his wife Pat of Beresford, South Dakota; her daughter, Janice Bouwman and her husband John of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; her daughter-in-law, Maxine Johnson and her husband Jim of Ihlen, Minnesota; five grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and her sister, Beverly Chizum of Hailey, Idaho. She was preceded in death by her son, Richard Hellie; her parents; two brothers, Peter and Lloyd; and two sisters, Lillian Smith and Eleanor Kvaas.