Helen Caroline Theisen

Helen Caroline Theisen (Marich) died peacefully in the arms of her oldest son, Leon Theisen, Jr., on April 19, 2026. Her last word, as she died in his arms, was "love." She was indeed loved and known to many as Helen, Caroline, Lenleh, or Greatest Grandmother (GG). Born on June 14, 1931, she worked in her father's grocery store, Nick's Grocery, in Cumberland, Kentucky. As a young lady, she moved alone to Detroit, Michigan, to help her family build a new life. While there, she got her first job at a White Castle and soon started working for General Motors, paving the way for her family to join her in Michigan.

Helen met her husband of 24 years, Leon Theisen, while teaching ballroom dance at an Arthur Murray Dance Studio. Helen was married to Leon Theisen Sr. at St. Alphonsus Church in Dearborn, Michigan. Her brother-in-law, Father Roman Theisen, was the celebrant. She was well known in Dearborn for her natural beauty, fashionable attire, and excellent cooking skills. Local children called her "Hunny Bunny" because she blessed the neighborhood with surprise Easter eggs. She loved her family fiercely and showed that love through her thoughtfully curated experiences, like road trips to visit family across the country, annual trips to Camp Dearborn with all five children, and adorning each greeting card with loving hearts, stars, underlines, kind words, and generous gifts.

Stepping into the family-owned florist, Theisen's Greenhouse, she frequently helped ensure that the floral arrangements brought beauty and joy. An artist, she often painted with acrylics and watercolors. Helen volunteered her time teaching others to paint, and when not painting, she created art in the kitchen, which eventually became a career as she worked as a personal chef in her later years. Helen forged a path of independence and determination that was unique among women of her time.

Helen joins her parents, Nicholas and Mary, her siblings, George, Paul, Anna, Christine, Mary, Nick, and Randy, as well as her granddaughter, Kristin Marie, in heaven. She leaves behind her younger siblings, Johanna and Michael; five children, Leon Jr., Denise, Karen, Sherra, and Lisa; her grandchildren, Brooks, Jamie, Eric, and Michael; her great-grandchildren, Andrew, Davon, Javon, Jayden, Everett, Easton, and Korban; and her great-great-grandchildren, Mia and Jackson.

A devout Catholic, Helen would always pray for family and friends, offering blessings with every phone call and encounter. Just before she joined our Lord, she recounted to one of her grandchildren how much she enjoyed riding on the back of a motorcycle when she was a young lady, with the wind blowing through her hair. Now that she is in heaven, each time a breeze flows through our hair, we will know that she is enjoying her next adventure.