Helen Woelber

HELEN ERNESTINE WOELBER was born to Ernest LeRoy and Helena Karoline (Wilka) Grotewold on February 16, 1920 on a farm near Larchwood, IA. She was raised on a farm near Granite, IA, and attended country school. When she was 13 years old, she moved with her family to a farm by Flandreau, SD. She completed her education at Flandreau High School by working for her room and board. On November 18, 1938, she was united in marriage to Herman Woelber at the parsonage in Flandreau. Following their marriage, they lived and farmed in Troy Township of Pipestone County, MN. After her children were raised, Helen sewed draperies for Brastads Home Furnishings in Pipestone. She also worked at Juba’s Grocery. When her husband purchased the Town and Country Locker in Pipestone in 1972, Helen worked there until they sold the locker in 1977. Herman preceded her in death on February 8, 1989. After his death, Helen continued to live in Pipestone. She was temporarily staying at the Good Samaritan Communities of Pipestone where she died on Sunday, July 2, 2017 at the age of 97 years, four months and 15 days.

Helen was a member of First Lutheran Church in Pipestone where she was active in the church organizations in her younger years. Throughout the years, she was active in the Cazenovia Extension Club. In her younger years, she liked bowling and square dancing. In her later years, she enjoyed line dancing. She was an avid reader and read her Bible daily. She enjoyed playing cards, especially pinochle, and she liked to play dominos. Helen and Herman loved to go camping with the Holiday Ramblers. She also enjoyed sewing and crocheting hangers. She especially enjoyed listening to her sons sing in the Great Pretenders. Over the years, she watched the many sporting events of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and she enjoyed them all. Her greatest pride was her children and grandchildren. She was so proud of each and everyone of them.

She is lovingly remembered by her four children and their spouses, Dick and Renee’ Woelber of Valley Springs, South Dakota, JoAnn and Lyle Miller of Ihlen, Minnesota, Jim and Pat Woelber of Pipestone, Minnesota, and Kay McClure of Luverne, Minnesota; 14 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren; and seven great-great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband, Herman; her parents; one great-granddaughter, Jordyn Olsen; two brothers, Marian and Marvin Grotewold; and one sister, Marjory Nelson.