ARTHUR HELMER JR.
Arthur Edward Helmer, Jr., age 71, of Beaver Dam, passed away on Thursday, June 6, 2019, while surrounded by his family at the Beaver Dam Community Hospital. He was born July 6, 1947 in Beaver Dam to Arthur E. Helmer, Sr. and Marie (Page) Winter.
Arthur, who was known to many of his family members as “Buster”, was a Vietnam veteran, serving in country from 1966-1969. He continued to serve in the U. S. Army, Army National Guard, Army Reserve and as a Department of the Army civilian employee for nearly 40 years before his retirement in 2005. He continued to show his fighting spirit the rest of his life, defeating lung cancer in 2018 so he could go on the Badger Honor Flight and battling to stay lucid long enough to say goodbye to and even share one last beer with his family and friends before death.
While in the military, Arthur met the love of his life, Charlotte (Auxier), and they were married on October 20, 1969. They gave birth to their first son, Gene (Brenda) Helmer, in 1970 and a second son, Steven (Cynthia) Helmer, in 1975 and eventually enjoyed four grandchildren, Natasha, Austin, Azalea and Summer.
Arthur loved working in his woodshop and, after retirement, spent a great deal of his free time making, selling and giving away a variety of creations including weather stations, bird houses and “hillbilly” bird feeders. One of his greatest joys was having his grandchildren help him in his shop and teaching them how to use many of his tools.
Arthur always put his family first and, even when he might not have been getting along with a relative, would still be willing to do everything he could to help them. He also had an uncanny ability to touch people’s lives just by meeting them and, because of this, had a steady stream of visitors in the hours leading up to his death.
In addition to his wife, sons, mother and grandchildren, Arthur is survived by sisters, Dona (Gerald) Bohn of Columbus and Jean Helmer of Apache Junction, Arizona, a brother, John Winter of Columbus as well as various nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and step-siblings. He was preceded in death by his father.
Services for Arthur will be held on Saturday, June 29, 2019 at Cornerstone Funeral & Cremation Services, 135 Keller Blvd., Beaver Dam at 12:00 p.m. (noon) with the Fr. Oscar A. Rozo officiating. Interment of his ashes with graveside military honors will take place at St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery in Doylestown immediately following. Relatives and friends may call on the family at Cornerstone starting at 10:00 a.m. until the time of service at noon.
If desired, memorial contributions in Arthur’s name can be made to the Badger Honor Flight, PO Box 258066, Madison, WI 53725 or on their web site www.badgerhonorflight.org/donate.
Cornerstone Funeral & Cremation Services, 135 Keller Blvd., Beaver Dam is honored to be serving the family. You may send private online condolences or sign the family’s guest book at www.cstonefs.com.
