Helen Halverson

Helen Halverson, 95, of Bloomer, died March 20th, 2014 at the Maplewood. She was born July 17th, 1918 to Adam and Alexandra (Dobrowolski) Krukowski in the township of Rusk near Chetek. She grew up on the family farm and attended the Bear Lake School through the 8th grade.
In 1933, Helen left the farm at the age of 14 to work in Chicago. For 3 years she worked as a housekeeper, but always came back home for the summers. Helen loved to dance, and during those summer months she attended many Saturday night dances at the local dance halls with her father and her sisters. She met her husband, Harold at one of these dances, and they were later married on September 30th, 1936.
These were Depression times, and jobs were hard to find, so in 1937 they decided to move to Chicago to find work. Helen found employment at an envelope factory, while her husband worked at a bakery. They lived there for 5 years, returning home to take over her parents’ farm after the death of her father in 1942.
Helen loved the country life and her prize jersey cows. Farming was her passion and she worked very hard, both on the land and in her home. Her hands were never idle. Her days were spent milking cows, working outdoors, gardening, canning and sewing. She was a talented quilt maker and made many quilts for her family. She also crocheted many afghans and shawls. The weekends were for dancing, bowling, and playing cards with friends. She was an excellent cook and no one ever left her home hungry.
In 1979 Helen and Harold sold their farm and moved to rural Cornell where she lived until 2000. At that time she sold her home to her granddaughter and moved to Lake Como Homes in Bloomer.
Helen is survived by her daughter Patsy (Don) May of Trout Creek, Michigan, granddaughters Lynn May and Donna (Tim) LaBonte, also of Michigan, Kris (Eric) Arneson, Cornell, Diana (Mike) Steinmetz, Bloomer, Josi (John) Beaudette, Chippewa Falls, and grandson Kim Halverson, Bloomer, brothers Joe (Cecelia) Krukowski, Neenah, and Ted Krukowski, Durand. Helen has seven great grandchildren and one great great granddaughter.
She was preceded in death by her husband Harold, brothers Stanley Krukowski and Frank Krukowski, sisters Sophie Woods and Anna Olesiak, son Ronald Halverson and great grandson Brandon Arneson.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 29, at 1:00 p.m. at Olson’s Funeral Home, 1516 Larson St., Bloomer.
Helen’s family would like to thank the staff at the Bloomer Hospital and the Maplewood for their wonderful care and compassion during her stay there.