Helen Simpson, age 95 years, 7 months, and 10 days, died Saturday, October 23, 2010, at Hillcrest Senior Living in Red Lake Falls, MN.

Visitation will occur from 5 P.M. to 8 P.M. on Thursday October 28, 2010, at Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls, MN. Pastor David Fish will lead a prayer service at 7 P.M.

A funeral service will take place at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, October 29, 2010, at Open Arms Christian Fellowship, Thief River Falls, officiated by Pastor David Fish. An hour of visitation will precede the funeral service. Burial will be at Oak Grove Cemetery, near Red Lake Falls, MN.

Helen Henrietta Simpson was born on March 13, 1915, in Morton, MN, the daughter of George and Alma (Lothert) Hesse. She was baptized and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Morton, MN. When Helen was 5½ she and her family moved to Red Lake County, where she attended country school. Helen began working outside of her home at an early age. She loved her family and did all she could to help them.

Helen moved to St. Paul, MN, where she worked and cared for the family of Dr. James L. Benepe. When the war started, Helen went to work at the Twin Cities Ordinance Plant in New Brighton. She made cases for bullets and later worked in the tracer department there.

On June 15, 1946, Helen was united in marriage to William M. Simpson in St. Paul, MN. While living there, they had two sons, William Martin Jr. and Charles. The couple and their family moved to Red Lake County in 1951 and made their home four miles south of Plummer. There they worked raising dairy and beef cattle and grain. In 1988, they left their farmstead and moved to a newer home west of Plummer. After Bill died in 2002, Helen moved to Plummer Senior Homes for awhile. She lived with her son and daughter-in-law, Chuck and Jolayne Simpson, for five years; and has resided at Hillcrest Senior Living in Red Lake Falls, MN, for the past year.

Helen loved gardening and animals, especially horses. She will be remembered as a person who enjoyed caring for people and always putting others ahead of herself. She was very loving and freely showed her appreciation for any kindness given to her. She was a member of the Plummer American Legion Auxiliary and her church ladies group. In 1980, Helen joined the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Thief River Falls, MN.

Helen is survived by her children, William Martin Jr., of Detroit Lakes, MN and Chuck (Jolayne) of Plummer, MN; grandchildren, Tracy Jo (Ryan) Peterson, Mindy (Larry) Juhl, Patrick Simpson, Jennifer (Joe) Rector, William Martin (Evelyn) Simpson III and Scott (Courtney) Simpson; great-grandchildren, Rylee Jo, Faith, Baron, Alea, Nevaeh and Jason; brothers and sisters, Eva (Bud) Lauritz of Seattle, WA, Marian Pearson of Kennewick, WA, Harriet Norman of Plummer, MN, Doris Malwitz of Plummer, MN, Melvin (Peggy) Hesse of Plummer, MN, and Ivan Hesse of Red Lake Falls, MN; sister-in-law, Loretta Hesse, and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Bill; an infant daughter; brothers, Floyd, Sylvester, and Donald Hesse; sisters, Myrtle Ahrens and Sarah Hansen; brothers-in-law, Nels Hansen, Jack Pearson, Frank Ahrens, and Charles Simpson; and sisters-in-law, Velma Simpson and Fern Hesse.