Arlene Irene Caroline Helke, 95, of Wausau, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, at her home, surrounded by her loving family. She was under the care of Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice Services and her family.

Arlene was born on February 22, 1929 to the late Gustave and Theresa (Plautz) Kottke. She grew up on the Kottke farm. As a tight knit family, she was always there to help her mom and family. She was united in marriage to the love of her life, Wallace "Wally" Helke, on September 16, 1949 in Hamburg. Wallace and Arlene celebrated 56 wonderful years together prior to Wallace's death on March 18, 2005.

Arlene graduated from Barney School. She then devoted her life to being a loving wife and mother, raising seven children, teaching them good Christian faith and instilling a strong sense of family. All seven children still live in the Wausau and Mosinee area. While she was often asked, mostly by her children, she would never admit who her favorite child was; all seven children could agree though, that she was the best mother, grandmother, and homemaker ever. She sewed many of her children's clothing, including shirts, bibs, overalls, and dresses. She was an excellent baker. She always had a treat for the kids to come home to. She had quite the sweet tooth which made her cookies, cakes, and breads the best. Her specialty was stoogies, which was deep fried bread dough, fried in oil and sugared. She also enjoyed crafts, and had a talent for crocheting, knitting, embroidering, and needlework. She made Afghans for each of her children and grandchildren and knit hundreds of dishcloths and embroidered numerous sets of dish towels, many of which were given for gifts. She also enjoyed making Christmas tree ornaments. She loved birdwatching and keeping an eye out for the first Robin of the spring. She especially loved cardinals. When Arlene wasn't busy with all of that, she found so much joy in playing cards with her husband, Wallace and children. Her favorites included Skip-Bo, Yahtzee, and Rummy. Arlene was known for her fun-loving positivity and her infectious sense of humor, which was passed down to each of her children. She could always crack a good joke. Arlene savored spending a lot of time with her children as they were growing up, and once Arlene's grandchildren came along, she began doing in-home daycare. During this time, she cared for over 30 children in her home, including her own grandchildren. She was incredibly proud to be a grandma to all her little ones.

Arlene will be missed by six sons and one daughter; Dennis (Kristin) Helke of Mosinee, Gary (Pamela) Helke of Wausau, Donovan (Lynn) Helke of Mosinee, Wesley Helke of Wausau, Dwight (Lori) Helke of Wausau, and Wade (Lynn) Helke of Mosinee, and Gayle (Gerald) Woller of Wausau, eight grandchildren; Nathaniel (Lori) Helke, Trinity (Toby) Krause, Casey (Carrie) Helke, Matthew (Jamie) Woller, Shannon (Raun) Egner, Brooke (Bobbie Kennedy) Woller, Madeleine Helke, and Maxwell Helke, and 11 great grandchildren.

In addition to her parents and husband, Wallace, she was preceded in death by 6 brothers; Reinhold, Edward, Orlin, Elgart, Roy, and Harold, and 6 sisters; Elsie Lehman, Rosie Kuehn, Adeline Punke, Dorothy Zielazowski, Eldora Eisenhut, and Mildred Krenz.

A memorial service for Arlene will be held on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at 12:00 PM at St. Paul's UCC, Wausau. Visitation will take place prior to the service at the church from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Entombment will take place at a later date with immediate family at Restlawn Memorial Park, Wausau.

Flowers and memorials in Arlene's name may be directed to St. Paul's UCC.

Arlene's family would like to thank her wonderful caregivers, Dixie and Ann, the staff of CICU, MSICU, and Palliative Care at Aspirus Wausau Hospital, for their loving and gentle care. Also, a warm word of thanks to Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice Services.

Arlene will be deeply missed by her family and friends. She has truly left a legacy.