Gladys Virginia Klabunde Helm

U.S. Military Veteran

Gladys Helm, age 100, of Cottage Grove, MN, formerly Waubun, MN, died on Thursday, April 27, 2023, under the loving care of hospice and her family.

Beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She was preceded in death by her husband, Rufus Helm; her parents, Otto and Ida Klabunde; brother, Rueben; sisters: Joyce, Donna, Violet, and her infant son, Rueben.

Gladys will be deeply missed by her children: Ricka Stenerson (Marvin) of Cottage Grove, MN, Gina Eustaquio (Elizer) of Kailua, HI, Robert Helm of Detroit Lakes, MN, and Gary Helm (Sarah) of Callaway, MN; her 12 beautiful grandchildren; and 3 great-grandchildren; her sister, Mildred Gunderson of Lakeville, MN; and her brother, Gordon "Bud" Klabunde (Mavis) of Waubun, MN, as well as many loving nieces and nephews.

Funeral Services will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, Waubun, MN, on Friday, May 5, 2023, at 11:00 am. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the funeral at the church. Burial will be held at Riverside Memorial Park Cemetery, Mahnomen, MN.

Gladys' life was a life of sacrifice, service, love, and adventure. She loved teaching and spent many wonderful years serving as a beloved elementary school teacher to her adoring students. She enjoyed reading and gardening and spent countless hours in her yard planting and pruning her beautiful flowerbeds. Gladys loved sunflowers and animals and was passionate about writing uplifting birthday poems, feeding the birds and meticulous recycling. She prided herself on taking good care of her health and always dressed impeccably "to the nines" in the latest fashions. She loved water aerobics at the pool and volunteering in the community. Gladys always put her family before herself, helping out when grandchildren were born and providing love and support in times of need. She was caring, kind and gave generously of her time and talents over the years to many organizations that helped others. She helped many, many families over the years, delivering clothing, food, and other essential supplies to those she saw in need.

Gladys was born in 1922 in Waubun, MN, on the family farm, the oldest of 7 children. She graduated from Waubun High School in 1940. After high school, Gladys attended Moorhead State Teacher's College for 2 years followed by teaching in Stephen, MN, in a one room schoolhouse. She then joined the U.S. Coast Guard SPARS and was stationed in Palm Beach, FL, Manhattan Beach, NY, New Orleans, LA, and finally Galveston, TX, where she met her husband, Rufus, also in the Coast Guard. They were married in 1948 and lived in Texas. While there she finished her education degree at North Texas State University, graduating in 1950. Gladys taught school in Houston and Dallas until Rufus was transferred to Puerto Rico for Coast Guard service. They lived in Puerto Rico and then in Washington D.C. where she worked at the Pentagon in the Intelligence Division before returning to Texas where Ricka was born.

After Texas, they lived briefly in St. Louis and then Chicago before settling in Minneapolis in 1964. Gladys taught school at Fuller School in inner-city Minneapolis touching the lives of many special-needs children. In 1970 she left teaching to raise her growing family. Her husband Rufus died suddenly in 1974, leaving her to raise four young children. She moved the family back to Waubun near her parents, and she taught school there for 20 years while raising her four children. Gladys was very active in the community, serving as a Lamplighter with Aid Association for Lutherans, assisted in founding and on the board of the Center for Human Environment, proud member of American Legion Auxiliary, and an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church. One of her many contributions include starting the Senior Citizen Nutrition Program in Waubun.

Gladys spent the last decade of her life travelling to visit family, living in the Twin Cities and then moving to Los Angeles, CA, where she lived with her sister Violet for 6 very happy years in the California sunshine. Her son, Robert lived with them as well. After her 100 ^th birthday, she moved back to Minnesota to live with Ricka, where she was able to be cared for and to spend time with grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Gladys enjoyed good health up until her final year, and she passed peacefully at home in the presence of family and her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Gladys' official SPARS Coast Guard uniform remains on display at the Mahnomen County Historical Society.

Gladys' dedication and love for family and community will continue to be an inspiration for us all.

Blessed be the memory of our loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother Gladys.

A Death Bed

By: James Aldrich

Her suffering ended with the day;

Yet lived she at its close,

And breathed the long, long night away,

In statue-like repose.

But when the sun, in all his state,

Illumed the eastern skies,

She passed through glory's morning-gate,

And walked in Paradise!