Larry B. Helgeson
Larry Bennie Helgeson passed away peacefully Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at Cambridge Senior Living Facility in Eau Claire. He was surrounded by his family and caretaker, Brooke.
If you knew Larry, you knew he was a storyteller and had the gift of gab. So, it is only appropriate that we tell you one last story.
Larry was born June 1, 1945, to Lawrence and Evelyn Helgeson in Whitehall. He was a 1963 graduate of Independence High School. He was the third of four children and enjoyed getting the best of his sisters. In retaliation, one would chase him with a broom, the other with cotton balls! He grew up farming with his family. He and his brother, Lennis, would play catch and hit rocks with a stick once their chores were done. To say baseball was important to Dad would be an understatement. Rumor has it, his catcher in high school had to put a steak in his catcher’s mitt to protect his hand. He played many baseball games around the area and eventually moved on to play Men’s Fastpitch Softball. He was never too proud to tell you how he and Lennis were feared, as one was a lefty and the other a righty. Dad would play until the age of 54.
With a firm handshake and smile, he never met anyone who he couldn’t talk to and find a connection with, always ready with a story and joke. After he retired, he met regularly with his coffee club to BS and solve world problems.
Once a farmer always a farmer, he got up before the sun even on his days off. Mowing lawn was his replacement for field work. Riding his John Deere lawn mower, keeping about ½ of the 10 acre lot neatly manicured and seemed to increase throughout the summer. Afterward, relaxing with his beloved dog, “Boomer”, and the cats he always said he didn’t like, but secretly loved.
He loved to play cards and board games with family. Pinochle and poker nights to all day Monopoly games with mom keeping written dollar amounts so nobody went bankrupt. A talented bowler, bowling leagues kept mom and dad busy at Midway and Whitehall Lanes.
He enjoyed watching his grandkids grow up and attending their events. Along with his favorite teams: Packers, Brewers and Badgers. A lifelong hunter, even prostate surgery couldn’t stop him from his pursuit of the thirty pointer, sitting on the deck dressed in orange.
One of Larry’s greatest accomplishments was being a grandpa. He always did his best to support his girls in everything they did.
A proud man till the end, Alzheimer’s took the best of him from us. There is so much from his life that just cannot be put into words. We love and miss him, but the many, many memories keep us smiling.
Larry is survived by his wife, Sharon; daughters: Tana Helgeson and Barb (Dustin) Kainz; grandkids: Lauren and Cashton; numerous nieces and nephews; and countless cousins, softball families, co-workers and neighbors.
He was preceded in death by his parents; siblings: Kathleen (Allen) Sterry and Lennis (Rose) Helgeson; in-laws: Ralph and Bessie Schansberg; and sister-in-law, Bonnie Schansberg.
A Funeral Service will be held Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at 11:00 a.m., at Chimney Rock Lutheran Church, rural Strum, with Pastor David Sands and Monica Dejno co-officiating. Visitation will be held Tuesday, July 2, 2024, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at Edison Funeral Home and on Wednesday, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., at church. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
The family would like to thank Cambridge Assisted Living, St. Croix Hospice, especially Brooke, who stayed with them until the end, My Choice of WI, and the Mayo Clinic Neuro/Psych departments for their guidance throughout the past six years. To leave an online condolence for his family, please visit www.edisonfuneralhome.com.
