Helen Miller, age 89, of Pipestone, Minnesota, passed away on Monday, January 30, 2023 at the Pipestone County Medical Center in Pipestone. Funeral service will be held on Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 10:30 AM at First Lutheran Church in Pipestone with visitation being held one hour prior from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM at the church. Burial will follow in New Woodlawn Cemetery in Pipestone. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Hartquist Funeral Home – Pipestone Chapel.
Helen Mae Miller was born to Ansgar and Julia (Markussen) Bollesen on June 27, 1933 in Tyler, Minnesota. She was raised on a farm near Tyler. She attended school in Tyler and graduated from Tyler High School in 1951. On September 2, 1951, she was united in marriage to Vernon Miller at Danebod Lutheran Church in Tyler. Following their marriage, they lived in Pipestone, Minnesota. Helen worked at Lange’s Café and the Mayfair Café in Pipestone. She also worked at the Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Pipestone. In later years, she cleaned and helped care for many older people in their homes. On April 17, 1990, Vernon preceded her in death. After his death, Helen continued to reside in their home that Vernon built in 1965. On Monday, January 30, 2023, she died at the Pipestone County Medical Center at the age of 89 years. Helen was a member of First Lutheran Church in Pipestone where she was active in the Love Circle and served as their chairperson for four years. For many years she was involved in the county extension club. She loved gardening, both flowers and vegetables, and she took various items to show at the local fair up until the summer of 2022. She enjoyed doing Danish cross-stitching and sold many of the pieces she made in Tyler at Aebleskiver Days and several other craft fairs. She especially enjoyed playing bingo and had a collection of dobbers. She also liked to play the slot machines and cards with friend. She looked forward to her Friday nights at the American Legion where she would meet her friends and play pull tabs. Helen was very ambitious, a go-getter and always moving. She was persistent and said what was on her mind, was very creative, chatty and fun.
Helen is lovingly remembered by her son, Dave (Janet) of Littleton, Colorado; granddaughter, Alishia and great-granddaughter, Katie, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She was preceded in death by her husband, Vernon who died in 1990; her son, Mike who died in 2004; and her brother, Edwin and his wife, Marion Bollesen.