Carleen Helgeson, of Boyd, died Monday, April 18, 2016 at Lake Winona Manor Nursing Home in Winona at the age of 64.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, April 21, 2016 at 1:30 PM at Watson Lutheran Church in Watson with Rev. Lori Wold and Vicar Linda Estling officiating. Interment will be in Sunset Memorial Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 20, 2016 from 5-7 PM at Anderson-TeBeest Funeral Home in Montevideo. Visitation will continue one hour prior to services at the church.
Carleen Ellen Helgeson was born Elizabeth Ann Rude at Booth Memorial Hospital in St. Paul, MN on November 24, 1951. She came to live with her new parents, Maurice “Ole” and Elva (Fremo) Norman on February 13, 1952, at the age of 12 weeks. She was baptized at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Montevideo and confirmed at Watson Lutheran Church in Watson, MN. She attended country school until the 5th grade when she started attending Milan Public School, graduating in 1969.
Carleen continued her education at Willmar Junior College and then St. Cloud State University. She was united in marriage to David A. Helgeson at Watson Lutheran Church on October 30, 1976. She loved animals, especially sheep, as well as riding bike, decorating cakes, antiquing, dancing, playing cards, and spending time with family and friends.
After working in the banking industry, she went back to school and obtained her Associates Degree in the Veterinary Technician program at Willmar. A women of many interests, she returned to her studies by enrolling in the University of Minnesota’s Mortuary Science program, where she was proud to be selected by her classmates to speak at her graduation in 2003. She began work for the Anderson-TeBeest Funeral Home that same year, and found her true calling helping people in their darkest hours of loss and grief.
She is survived by her son John and his wife Shannon; two granddaughters, Sawyer and Anilise, one grandson, David; three half-sisters: Lavonne Olson, Linda Brett and Nancy Ziesmer; three half brothers: Michael, Mark and Kevin Benolken and numerous extended family members and friends.
She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, David; brother, Terry Benolken; and nephew, Zebulon Olson.