Helen Elizabeth Heise, 89, passed away on Feb. 17, 2018, surrounded by her children at Lakeview Hospice in Stillwater, Minnesota.

Helen was born June 17, 1928, in Adams, Minnesota, to Charlotte and Rudy Schmitz. The family later moved to Austin, Minnesota, and Helen graduated from St. Augustine High School. She worked at the Hormel Company for a while and then married the love of her life, Kenneth Heise, in 1947.

Helen was a busy wife and mother to six children. She always cared deeply for her family and kept a lovely home. In later years, after raising most of the children, Helen and Ken ran a bratwurst stand at county fairs in southern Minnesota. Helen, Ken, her children and grandchildren loved working the fairs for 32 years.

Helen was a member of Queen of Angels Church and Women of the Moose and loved to dabble in art and ceramics. She enjoyed her home along the river in the Woodhaven addition in Austin. Later, Helen and Ken moved to Boutwell’s Landing Senior Living in Stillwater to be near her children. Helen enjoyed a long life with many blessings. She had a witty and playful side and always took pride in looking her best. She was forever proud of her children and grandchildren, and they are blessed by her memory.

She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Marge Goslee; husband, Ken Heise; and son-in-law, Elso Thomas.

Survivors include brother, Charles (Dorothy) Schmitz, Pawleys Island, South Carolina; sister-in-law, Phyllis Spear, Mankato, Minnesota; children, Randal (Kitty) Heise, Prior Lake, Minnesota, Barry (Donna) Heise, Mankato, Janet (Pat Geraghty) Thomas, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Steve Heise, Bayport, Minnesota, Tony (Linda) Heise, Augusta, Georgia, and Sally (David) Framke, Stillwater; grandchildren, Mesa, Kia and Ethan Heise, Jesse and Drew Heise, Ryan and Marney Thomas, Lucas, Katie, Elizabeth and Zachary Heise, and Alec, Hilary, Steven, James and Joshua Framke; 13 great-grandchildren (two on the way); and numerous nieces and nephews.

There will be a memorial Mass celebrated at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, at Boutwell’s Landing in Stillwater. Visitation is at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials made to Helen’s favorite charity, Mobile Loaves Twin Cities.