Helen Schmid Perrance, daughter of Andrew and Helen Oczipka Schmid, was born October 11, 1920 on a Nicollet County farm. Third child and eldest daughter, Helen helped with outdoor and house chores. She began baking her family's bread at age nine and continued to bake bread for 75 years. Attending one room Courtland schools, Helen received her eighth grade diploma in 1936. Her family could not afford to send her to high school in St. Peter. At the age of sixteen, she proudly bought a winter coat with her earnings. Helen worked for the Cooper family in Minnetonka and as a companion to Merceline (Mern) Lysne, a recuperating stroke patient. Helen accompanied Dr. Henry and Mrs. Lysne to movies, restaurants and summer stays at Lysne's cabin on a Rainy Lake island. Several of Mrs. Lysne's recipes became family favorites. On Thursdays, maid's day off, Helen enjoyed YWCA activities including the Priscilla Club which offered companionship and talks on job skills, health issues and self-improvement to single working women. In December, 1942, Helen joined the Womens Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC), precursor to the Womens Army Corps (WAC). At Fort Des Moines, Iowa she received basic training, followed by cook and baker training. She completed assignments at Camp Ruston, LA, Fort Oglethorpe, GA and the Roswell Air Force base in Roswell, NM. On November 24, 1945, she was discharged from military service. Helen used the GI Bill to attend cosmetology school in Minneapolis and a hair cutting program in New York. Returning to Minnesota she worked at the Lorenz Styling Salon in Minneapolis, MN. Co-worker, Ruth Gove Perrance, introduced her to her future husband, William and his daughter, Patricia Ann Perrance. Helen married William at the St. Paul home of retired Windom Methodist Pastor Williams on December 30, 1949. They moved to Windom for Bill's employment at the Minnesota Highway Department. In 1952 they purchased their home in Wilder; Helen's home until March 2015. Helen then lived with her daughter, Ellen, until her death. Helen worked at a Mountain Lake hair salon before opening her small in-home shop. This business allowed her time flexibility to raise two daughters and maintain her household. Women from from Windom, Wilder and Heron Lake area became regular customers. She continued to dress the hair for long-time clients' hair, travelling to their homes or in care centers. Helen retired from cosmetology in 2005. Helen packed Bill's black lunch box with sandwiches wrapped in wax paper, pickles, cookies, pie, or fruit sauce. The guys at work checked with him for anything he did not eat. His daughters called him a gourmet because Helen provided him with good food to eat all their married life. Helen was active in Arbutus Chapter 169, Order of the Eastern Star, holding several offices including Worthy Matron, until the chapter darkened. She was a member of the Ransford Chapter 43, Worthington and a 50 year member. Helen enjoyed family vacations, cooking and baking and pets. She had a heart for animals. Ann Schwob and Laurie Jueneman visited Helen with their dogs,Lily and Maddy to visit her. She leaves her orange tabby Angel, to mourn her. Helen and husband, Bill were best friends. They shared a life of caring and support. They were, "Two peas in a pod." She was giving, tolerant mother and the best supporter to her daughters, Rene' and Ellen. Helen stayed connected to her siblings and their children. At the end of her life, she discovered that she had more children than she birthed. Her nieces and nephews and their spouses kept in touch, shared celebrations and eased her final days with their presence, telephone calls, and prayers. Helen was beloved by almost-a-daughter, Ann Schwob and watched over by Wilder neighbors Ken, Barb, Karlene, Kevin, Kendra and Kaycee Hunter and Carol and Bob Kirstein. Helen entered hospice April 2016. On May 14, 2016 she was honored for her military service by hospice, resulting in a front page article in the Rochester Post-Bulletin for the Memorial Day edition. Her health continued to slowly decline. She passed away at her daughter, Ellen's home on Sunday morning, July 24, 2016. She was predeceased by her parents, husband, William, newborn son, William Andrew, brothers and spouses Eric (Luella), Helmuth (Luella) and sister and spouses Agnes (Richard) Dunn and Frances (Hugo) Vait, and nephew Maynard and Warren Schmid. Survivors include daughters Rene' and Ellen and step-daughter, Pat (Ralph) Thiner and step-granddaughters Lori Ann Thiner, Jeanette (Al) Monson, Jodi (Dan) Reyerson and Heidi (Derek) families, nephews, James, Leo, Bruce, Bernard Vait; nieces Rita MaryLu; Gary (Mila)Schmid, Harlan (Marlys)Schmid; JoAnn Brandes; Lyle (Bert Dingmann) Dunn; Kathy (Steve) Davis; Joyce (Wayne) Oelfke; Christine (Bob) Peltier; Patricia (Tom) Kenneth; Keith Dunn; William's niece Suzetta (Arnold)Pelowski, Robbin (Barb) Perrance; Mitchell (Kris) Perrance and Robert (Connie) Arnold. Please forgive any omissions. We appreciate our family and friends support. _____________________________________________________________________________ In lieu of many lovely flowers, please consider a memorial honoring Helen. She enjoyed nature and animals. Suggested or similar organizations would appreciate your support. *PAWS (Precious Animals Worth Saving) P.O. Box 185 Jackson, MN 56143 www.pawsofjackson.com *Prairie School Bus Center P.O. Box 429 Lakefield, MN 56150 www.ecologybus.org *Fort Des Moines Museum 75 East Army Post Road Des Moines, IA 50315 www.fortdesmoinesmuseum.com *Mayo Clinic Hospice 200 First Street SW Rochester, MN 55905 *Minnesota Conservation Volunteers webapps5.dnr.state.mn.us/mcv/contributions/new *New Ulm Park and Recreation-German Park www.ci.new-ulm.mn.us *David and Kathryn Campbell Scholarship (through Windom Educational Honor Loans, Inc.) c/o Margaret McDonald 906 4th Avenue Windom, MN 56101