Age 96, of Elk River. Helen retired from the US Department of Agriculture Sherburne County ASCS office in the early 1970’s after more than twenty years of service. She was the Valedictorian of Preston (MN) High School, Class of ’35 and the captain of the 1935 Preston HS Girls Basketball team. She graduated from the Wisconsin Business College at LaCrosse, Wi. Helen and her husband Les were members of the Madison (WI) Motorcycle Club in the late 1930’s and won the trophy for riding their Harley-Davidson more than 10,000 miles in one year. Always looking for a new challenge, Helen continued to plan for the day she could take flying lessons and skydive.
Helen was an election judge for several years and for decades was a prolific volunteer for many local organizations including Meals On Wheels, was an original member of C.A.E.R and was proud to have won several honors for selling the most raffle tickets for Guardian Angels and Holy Trinity fund raising events.
She always had a hot cup of coffee brewing for her many friends, and being very proud of her Norwegian heritage was very quick with yet another eye-rolling Ole & Lena joke (but always happy to expose the “truth” about those Swedes!). Helen was humbled to be the Honorary Grandmother to many friends and children in her church and neighborhood. Known for collecting Monarch caterpillars for many of her special kids, she labeled sometimes more than a dozen jars with each of their names so they could watch them evolve into their own special Monarch butterflies. Her home became the neighborhood go-to place after school for her ‘world-famous’ homemade root beer floats. Preceded in death by her parents Charles ‘Teddy” & Jonette Anderson; husbands Leslie Spear and Edwin Dreissig; step-grandson Jeff Dreissig; brothers Norman and Ernest Anderson.