Donald Gene Helgeson, 80, of Blackduck, died Monday, August 16, 2010 at the Good Samaritan Center – Blackduck.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, August 20, 2010 at Zion Lutheran Church in Blackduck with Pastor Dan Heath officiating. Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. with a 7:30 p.m. prayer service Thursday, August 19 at Cease Family Funeral Home Chapel and one hour prior to the service. Full military honors will be provided by the American Legion Ralph Gracie Post 14 of Bemidji. Burial of cremains will be in Lakeview Cemetery in Blackduck. Cease Family Funeral Home of Blackduck assisted the family with arrangements.
Honorary pallbearers will be his grandchildren.
He was born August 18, 1929 in Hills, MN to Griffith Helgeson and Clara (Nelson) Helgeson. He graduated from Hills High School in 1947 and went to work for the Creamery in Hills until 1949 when he went to work for the Homestake Gold Mine in Deadwood, S.D. He left the gold mine in 1951 when he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He served in the Army during the Korean Conflict until he was honorably discharged as a Tech Sergeant in 1953. He married Vivian Rye on August 28, 1955 in Hills. He farmed in Hills until 1970 when they bought Cedar Rapids Lodge on Medicine Lake in Tenstrike. They owned and operated the resort until 1987 when they moved to Big Sky, MT. They lived there until 1991 when they moved to Hines and lived there until 2007 when they moved to Bemidji.
He was involved in raising money for nursing training scholarships that were awarded to students in the area. He also worked to educate and distribute flags to all kindergarten classes in the local and surrounding areas for the 40/8. He was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Blackduck, the American Legion and was a member and past Chef-de-Gare of the Bemidji 40/8.
He is survived by his wife, Vivian Helgeson of Blackduck; four daughters, Jewel (Dan) Rockensock of Blackduck and Emily (Jeff Siegel) Helgeson and Linda (David Tisdell) Helgeson, both of Bemidji and Jennifer (John) Anderson of Tenstrike; eight grandchildren, Teresa (Wayne) Hawkinson of Rosemount, Aaron (Courtney) Dreyer of Elk River, Breanne Dreyer of Sartell, Tanner Dremmel and Seth Dremmel, both of Bemidji, Taylor Tisdell of Bemidji and Dominic Anderson and Benjamin Anderson, both of Tenstrike and five great-grandchildren, Mitchell, Britney and Kylie Dreyer and Reagan and Kate Hawkinson..
He was preceded in death by his parents, Griffith and Clara Helgeson; a grandson, Brett Rockensock and two brothers, Conley Helgeson and Julien Helgeson.
