Irene L. Helsel

Funeral service for Irene Lucille (Jesness) Helsel, 90, of Virginia, formerly of Biwabik, will be 10:30am Thursday, October 5, 2017 at Community United Church of Christ in Biwabik with Pastor John Szarke officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be in the Lakeside Cemetery in Biwabik. Irene died Saturday, September 30, 2017 at St. Michael’s Health and Rehab in Virginia, Minnesota She was born March 20, 1927 in Fosston, Minnesota to John and Joren (Austad) Mortenson. She was baptized and Sand Hill Lutheran Church of Christ and confirmed at the Lutheran Church in Winger. Irene was married to Kenneth Jesness on December 18, 1946 in Bemidji, Minnesota. They had three daughters. On December 6, 1979 she married William Helsel following Kenneth’s death. Irene worked as a seamstress at Cluett Peabody Shirt Factory in Virginia for five years and as a clerk for Woolworth’s in Virginia for 15 years. She was a member of Community United Church of Christ, its choir and its Women’s Fellowship, the Biwabik American Legion Auxiliary where she served as past president and walked for the food shelf Crop-Walk for 10 years. Survivors include her daughters: Candy (Paul) Terch of Virginia, Linda (Gary) Branville of Virginia and Becky (Ralph) Latola of Palo; grandchildren: Cory (Kristi) Groves, Casey (Elsa) Groves, Keith (Christine) Rudolph, Gary (Catherine) Branville, Brett Branville, Kelly (Mari) Latola, Michelle (Marcus) McRae; 14 great grandchildren; step-daughter: Elaine Johnson; sister: Doris Normandin of Forest Lake; several nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents; husbands: Kenneth and William; grandson, Kevin Rudolph; siblings: Tenny “Norman”, Jane, Elinore, Irma, Christine and Aileen.