Helen G. Proepper

Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Artist

Helen G. Proepper, 92, passed away peacefully in her sleep on March 19, 2023.

Helen was born Helen G. Schmitz on May 22, 1930, in Duisburg, Germany. Helen and her sister Annemarie were raised as twins, playing and studying together. During the war, the sisters were sent to live in the country to escape the bombing of their hometown. Helen worked on a farm as a teenager to help provide the family with food. Once they were able to return to their home, Helen and her sister resumed their studies in the local high school.

Helen met her husband of 68 years, Helmut, at a roller-skating outing in Duisburg. They married in 1950 and soon moved to Canada with their two young children. They entered the United States 2 years later, having added a third child to the family.

After many moves around the U.S. and Europe and a fourth child, the family settled in Minnesota. Helen and Helmut encouraged a love of music and art in their children and grandchildren and filled their home with treasures from around the world. Helen pursued sewing, cooking, reading, decorating, and making remarkable quilts. She especially enjoyed being a member of the Ladies of the Lake Quilting Society in White Bear Lake and met some of her most beloved friends through quilting. Helen's keen eye and meticulous attention to detail enabled her to create truly unique and beautiful quilts. Cherished by every member of her family, Helen's countless quilts are a reminder of her warmth, generosity, kindness, and artistic genius. Helen is survived by her four children Nick (Eileen), Sue (Joe), Tom (Michele) and Julie (Toby), 13 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren with one more on the way.

Memorial Service: March 31, 2023

Redeemer Lutheran Church

3770 Bellaire Ave. White Bear Lake, MN 55110

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm