Helen Margaret Beise

Helen Beise was born April 24, 1920, in St. Paul, MN. to John & Helen (Langeland) Mickelsen. She grew up in St. Paul and graduated from St. Paul Harding High School in 1939. Helen was baptized May 24, 1920 and confirmed June 3, 1934 at Christ Lutheran Church in St. Paul. At the age of one year, Helen contracted polio. This affected her the rest of her life; however, Helen never considered herself disabled! Because of her polio and her father’s employment with the Northern Pacific Railroad, Helen actually had more opportunities than other kids. She spent time with her mother traveling the United States on the railroads; visiting such places as Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado, Salt Lake City, Utah, Los Angeles and Modesto, California. A newspaper article, complete with her photo, from the St. Paul Dispatch describes a Harding High School student touring the southwest including a week’s stay at a summer home on Mount Hood, Oregon and visits in Tacoma and Seattle, Washington. While visiting her sister Norma, who lived on a farm in Rush Point, Helen met Bernhard “Barney” Beise and a romance ensued. Helen wrote in her scrapbook “I always thought “country boys” were bashful!” The couple was married September 14, 1940 at her parent’s home in St. Paul. Helen and Barney started living in St. Paul since Barney’s father thought it important for him to try living in the cities since he married a “city girl”. This lasted a short time, and Helen and Barney moved to the farm in Rush Point where Barney was born. They continued to farm and live here until 1974, when they moved south of Rush Point. Helen was the “consummate homemaker”, cooking, cleaning, gardening and canning for her six children and many other farmhands. She enjoyed embroidering and cross stitch. Her family and friends have many examples of her work in the form of tablecloths and runners. Helen, a life-long member of Calvary Lutheran Church at Rush Point, was active in the Ladies aid association and spent much time working in the kitchen. After Barney’s heart attack in 1983, the couple somewhat retired and started going south for the next 16 winters enjoying their friends in Arizona. Helen died very unexpectedly, after spending Christmas day at her daughter Sue’s home in Rush Point. At the time of her death, Helen was residing at River Hills Assisted Living in Cambridge. Helen is survived by her children Jerry Beise and his wife Carrie of Rush Point, Barb Hanson and husband Dick of Brook Park, Gordy Beise and wife Pat of Stacy, Sue Danson and husband Russ of Rush Point, John Beise and wife Myra of Rush Point, Wally Beise and wife Paulie of Cambridge, 25 grandchildren, 35 great grandchildren, 8 great great grandchildren; sisters-in-law Jeanne Mickelsen of North Branch and Kathryn Mickelsen of Anchorage, Alaska. Preceding Helen in death are her parents John & Helen Mickelsen, husband Barney Beise, sister Norma Satterstrom, brothers Carl and Ludwig Mickelsen. Rev. Keith Kolzow will officiate at funeral services 11 a.m Wednesday, December 29, 2010. at the Calvary Lutheran Church at Rush Point. Music will be provided by organist Jan Johnson and soloist Fred Meissner. A time of visitation and reviewal is scheduled for Tuesday evening from 4-7 p.m. at the Olson Chapel in Rush City and one hour prior to the funeral at church on Wednesday. A spring interment is planned in the Calvary Lutheran Cemetery next to the church.