Lorraine Helmke

Lorraine Jean Luella Helmke, 87, of Wausau, formerly of Merrill, died Tuesday, October 27, 2009, at Marywood Convalescent Center.


Lorraine was born April 29, 1922, in the Town of Hamburg, to the late Fredrick and Anna (Borchardt) Pickruhn. She was a graduate of Marathon High School and Lincoln County Normal School. On October 3, 1942, she was united in marriage to Gerhardt T. Helmke, in the Town of Berlin.


Survivors include her husband of 67 years, Gerhardt, of Wausau; daughter, Leanna (Ted) Rusch, of Stevens Point; 2 sons, Gary Helmke, of Wausau, and Dale (Jill) Helmke, of Wausau; 5 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren; and sister-in-law, Selvaline Pickruhn, of Wausau.


Lorraine was preceded in death by 3 sisters, Pricilla Utech, Dorothy Zimmerman, and Lorrinda Mueller; and brother, Harley Pickruhn.


A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, October 31, 2009, at the Helke Funeral Home, Wausau. The Reverend Kevin Hoogland, Faith Lutheran Church (Town of Maine), will officiate. The family will receive guests the day of the service, at the funeral home, beginning at 10:00 a.m., until the service.

The family would like to thank Dr. Jeffrey Oswald and the staff at Marywood for the excellent care given to Lorraine over the years.