Helen Schaffer

Funeral Services for Helen Gertrude Schaffer were held Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011 at 11:00 A.M. at the Ave Maria Catholic Church in Wheaton with Fr. Joe Vandeberg officiating. Pallbearers were Jim Diehl, Jim Ludowese, Alan Peickert, Justin Poirier, Jerry Grohs and Dean Grohs, Honorary Bearers were Rochelle Schaffer, Becky Hanson, Christine Nicolai, Monika Nicolai, Catherine Nicolai, Tiffany Poirier and Kelly Christensen. Burial will be at St. Peters Catholic Cemetery in Dumont, Minnesota. Visitation was held Monday evening, May 2, from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM at the Ranney Funeral Home. There was a prayer service at 7:00 PM. Helen Schaffer of Dumont, Minnesota passed away on Thursday, April 28, 2011, at Grace Home, Graceville, Minnesota. She was 98 years old. The Ranney Funeral Home of Wheaton is in charge of arrangements. Helen was born September 25, 1912, to Peter and Christine Grohs in Dumont, Minnesota. She spent her Childhood years living on a farm south of Dumont, growing up with four brothers and four sisters. She attended St. Peter's Catholic School in Dumont and Graceville High School. Helen married Clarence (Gus) Schaffer on February 12, 1942, in San Diego, California. Not long after, they returned to Minnesota and moved to the family farm north of Dumont. They had four children. She enjoyed her family and loved spending time playing cards and games with her children and grandchildren. Her hobbies were gardening, raising chickens and other farm animals, crocheting, embroidering, quilting, playing the piano, and watching Twins baseball. As a devout Catholic, Helen was a lifetime member of St. Peter's Church in Dumont. She was active in the Ladies Aid and sang in the choir for over 60 years. Her Catholic faith was a very important factor of her life. In 1975, Helen and Clarence sold the farm and moved into Dumont. Clarence passed away in August of 1986. Helen lived in Dumont until April of 2006, when she moved to Grace Village in Graceville. In the fall of 2008, she moved to Grace Home and resided there until her death. She is survived by her children Kenneth (Bev) Wyoming, Minnesota, Robert (Wanda) Riverdale, North Dakota, daughters Kathleen Nicolai, (John, deceased), Tacoma, Washington, and Kristi (Dennis) Bray, Austin, Minnesota. She also has two sisters Marie Hyland of Bloomington, Minnesota and Jean Nash of Eagan, Minnesota, along with twelve grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews. Helen is preceded in death by her parents, husband, four brothers, two sisters, a grandson and twin great-granddaughters.