Rose Hellmer

ROSE HELLMER was born to Frederick and Anna (Hinz) Hildebrandt on September 26, 1908 in Annandale, Minnesota. When she was six years old, she moved with her parents to Swanville, Minnesota where she attended school. After her high school graduation in 1925, she attended St. Cloud Business College for one year. In 1926, she became employed as the cashier and bookkeeper for a department store in Princeton, Minnesota. In 1929, she moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota where she worked as a secretary for General Motors Corporation. She married Henry J. Hellmer in 1936. Following their marriage, they resided in Minneapolis and operated the Nokomis Inn Restaurant and the Gamble Store in South Minneapolis. In 1944, they moved to Pipestone, Minnesota and became part-owners of the Orpheum and State Theaters and later the Sunset Drive-In. Mr. Hellmer preceded her in death on July 30, 1975. After his death, Rose continued to live in Pipestone. In November, 2008, she moved to Ridgeview Estates in Pipestone. In September, 2012, she became a resident of the Good Samaritan Communities of Pipestone where she died on Wednesday, October 17, 2012 at the age of 104 years and 21 days.

Rose was a member of St. Leo Catholic Church in Pipestone. She also belonged to Pipestone Country Club, the Pipestone Garden Club, the Pipestone Historical Society, and several bridge clubs. Her hobbies were gardening, reading, golfing, painting, and traveling, having been to Europe, China, Japan, Australia, and South Africa.

She is lovingly remembered by her sons, Richard Hellmer and his wife Sydne of Denver, Colorado, and Gary Hellmer and his wife Robin of Wayzata, Minnesota, six grandchildren, Elizabeth, Cathleen, Michael, David, Christopher, and Stiles; three great-grandchildren, Joseph, Mallory and Broderick; her special niece, Helen Perkins of Cresco, Iowa; several other relatives; and many friends. She was preceded in death by her husband; her son, Robert; her parents; two sisters, Violet Grevett and Verbena Truog.

At the family's request, memorials are preferred to the American Cancer Society.