Nov. 29, 1921-July 2, 2009
PERHAM - Services for Helen Boedigheimer, 87, are at 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Lawrence Catholic Church. Visitation and remembrance are at 9 a.m. Burial is at St. Lawrence cemetery, Otto Township, Rush Lake. The Schoeneberger Funeral Home of Perham is in charge of arrangements.
She died Thursday, July 2, 2009, peacefully after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.
Helen was born Nov. 29, 1921, in rural Perham to Michael and Anna (Jaroszewski) Belka. She graduated from Perham High School in 1938. On Nov. 27, 1940, just after the Armistice Day storm, she and Carl "Carly" Boedigheimer were married at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Perham. Together they resided in rural Perham, moving briefly to Seattle, Wash., and then to Cottonwood for 10 years before returning to the rural homestead farm in 1963. She lived there until October 1999 when she moved into Briarwood Assisted Living in Perham as her memory started to fail. In 2004 she moved into Thomas House II where she resided until her death.
Helen was a full-time, stay-at-home mother until the early 1970s when she was hired at Diamond's Department Store as manager and worked there for many years until they closed the doors. She worked for several years at Midland Gas Station, retiring in the early 1980s. Her greatest love was her family and she looked forward to the visits, spending many hours preparing everyone's favorite food in anticipation of the visit. There were many hours spent playing rummy, 500 or whist where she would be known to "inkle" to her partner when she really didn't have much for points in her hand, but was sure she would be able to assist in racking up the points. She also enjoyed spending the "overnight at Grandma's" with the grandchildren. She would promptly put them to work tying the quilts she had sewed. Their reward was always Schwan's ice cream or one of the other many sweets she would have hidden as treats.
She loved to putter in her flower beds, growing the most beautiful geraniums each year. She would spend hours outside watching the birds and enjoying the summer months. The last few years were difficult as her memory and health declined. The family appreciates the time, love, attention and care that were provided to her at Thomas House over the last five years.
Survivors include her children, Mike (and Sue), Tom, Greg, Mary (and Darrell) Melo, Larry (and special friend Linda), Diane (and Jeff) Aschnewitz, and Carla Floberg (and special friend Keith); 19 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband; two sons, Marc and Steve; infant grandson, Marc; her parents; three sisters and one brother.