Wayne Helkenn

Wayne Helkenn, age 80, rural Raymond, died at his home late Monday, March 28, 2011 after a lingering illness. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 2, 2011 at 2PM in the United Methodist Church at Clark with The Reverend Dayne Zachrison officiating. The organist will be Wanda Bethke. Wendy Christman will be the soloist singing, Lord, Take My Hand". The congregation will sing "Amazing Grace" and "The Hymn of Promise". Honorary casketbearers will be his granddaughters. The active casketbearers will be his grandsons, Chad, Jason, Daniel, Wes, Ty and Aaron Helkenn, Jerrod Jordahl, Jay Foster, Derek & Travis Anderson and Ryan Chandler. Spring burial will be held in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Clark. Visitation will be held on Friday from 4-6PM at the Furness Funeral Home in Clark and after noon at the Church on Saturday. He was born Wayne Edward Helkenn on November 30, 1930 in Holstein, IA, son of Edward Hans Henry and LaVerne (Kruthoff) Helkenn. The family moved to the Logan/Fordham Township area, south of Raymond, SD when he was an infant. He grew to adulthood in that area attending country schools in Fordham Township. He graduated from Logan High School in 1948. After high school he worked on the family farm. On October 8, 1950 he was united in marriage to Mary Darlene Boudreau at the Lutheran parsonage in Clark. In addition to farming, the couple shared a common employment for a time, driving the bus for the Logan School, even though most of the bus was filled with Helkenn' s and Arne's! They have continued living on the farm in Fordham township since where he was engaged in farming. He raised small grains, many different types of livestock and milked cows for several years. Wayne served on the Fordham Township board for many years and also served on the ASCS Board. In his spare time he thoroughly enjoyed playing cards, being on a bowling team, pitching horseshoes and doing some fishing. He and Mary Darlene enjoyed countless hours of dancing, especially ballroom style and he loved spending time with his grandchildren, making up songs as they went along and playing his "real"( but fake) guitar. Wayne will long be remembered for his story telling and shooting the breeze. Preceding him in death were his parents, a brother Arlyn "Um" Helkenn and a sister, Patsy Wallum. Grateful for having shared his life is his wife of over 60 years, Mary Darlene Helkenn of Raymond, children, Bruce (Linda) Helkenn of Montevideo, MN, Gerry (Annette) Helkenn of Clark, Deb (Brad) Jordahl of Webster City, IA, Roger (Marcia) Helkenn all of Clark, Mike (Linda) Helkenn of Raymond, Lynn (Kevin) Chandler of Watertown and Julie (Russ) Foster of Garden City; 21 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and his siblings, Gene (Carolyn) Helkenn, Norman (Joyce) Helkenn, Dale (LaVonne) Helkenn and Roland "Butch" (Betty) Helkenn all of Clark. Arrangements are announced by the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com