Dorothy Helmbrecht

Dorothy Elaine Helmbrecht, age 92, of Little Falls, MN passed away Thursday, August 21, 2025, at Highland Senior Living in Little Falls.

Memorial services will be held on Sunday, September 14, 2025, at 3:00 PM at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses located at 14827 Prairie Drive, Little Falls, MN, with a luncheon to follow at Linden Hill. Private interment will be at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery. Caring for Dorothy and her family is the LeMieur Funeral Home in Little Falls, MN.

Dorothy was born on May 13, 1933, in Mankato, MN. She was raised by her grandparents, Emil and Emma Ewald. Dorothy attended Lake Beauty District #65 for eight years and then graduated from Swanville High School in 1951. That same year, she moved to Minneapolis and worked as an office secretary. Later, in 1964, she moved to Montana and worked as a cook and bartender. It was there she met Clarence "Hap" Helmbrecht. They began talking about farming and where they had grown up; it was an amazing coincidence to find out he was from Long Prairie, MN! Together they returned to Minnesota in December of 1971 and farmed near Swanville from 1974-1983. They were united in marriage on March 15, 1979.

While in Coram, MT in 1964, Dorothy first came in contact with Jehovah's Witnesses. In the summer of 1972, she was again contacted. Orean and Alma Hanson stopped by the house and left The Watchtower and Awake magazines with Dorothy. This was the beginning of a very long and beautiful friendship. Hap and Dorothy started studying the book "The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life." Together they were baptized as Jehovah's Witnesses in December, 1983 in Brainerd, MN.

After retiring from farming, the couple lived in Swanville and Long Prairie. Hap died May 19, 1997. After his death, Dorothy went to work as a live-in companion and housekeeper in several locations. Dorothy enjoyed helping her husband make diamond willow and other woodcrafts, cooking, embroidering, and watching the Twins. She had a sense of adventure and took many long road trips with friends, as well as by herself. She enjoyed telling stories, having fun while hunting, fishing and trapping. Dorothy played thousands of games of cribbage in her lifetime, in the latter years with a small loyal group of friends that would come over on Saturdays. She loved visiting others and having visitors, parting ways after many laughs.

Dorothy remained active with the Little Falls Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. She loved the weekly Bible study meetings and was known for having her lessons studied beforehand so she could actively participate in the discussions. She enjoyed preaching the good news of God's Kingdom, keeping notes of the friends she was with so she could look back on those good memories. As she got older, she continued faithfully preaching by handwriting encouraging letters to people in the community.

Dorothy will be missed by many, many friends who became family. She was endeared by the staff of Highland Senior Living and St. Croix Hospice. They enjoyed caring for her as much as she enjoyed their company.