Helen Wilberta Gerard

Helen Wilberta Gerard, 82 of Scanlon died Saturday, January 28, 2006 in Community Memorial Hospital in Cloquet. She was born August 22, 1923 in Des Moines, Iowa to Wilbert and Hazel (Johnson) Huffman. Helen moved to Pennington, Minnesota at the age of three. She attended Bemidji High School. Helen moved to Cloquet in 1945 and worked at Diamond Match until her marriage to James Gerard on September 22, 1956. Helen also worked as a bartender at Vins Dug Out for more than 27 years. While her daughters were in school, Helen was an active member and past president of the Band Parents Club and made many trips with the band. She was also a member of the Women of the Moose. Helen enjoyed flower gardening, bird watching, fishing, and going to the casino. Helen was preceded in death by her parents, her step-father, Reuel Smith; brother Reuel Smith Jr.; sister, Gena DeRusha; and great grandson, Isaiah Nielsen. Helen was loved and will be sadly missed by her husband, James; daughters, Karen (Tim) Schneuer of Las Vegas and Sharon Olson of Cloquet; sister, Charlotte (Herman) Yoder of International Falls; grandchildren, Scott and Dan Nielsen, Christopher D. Olson, David, Brian and Rona Myllymaa; 16 great grandchildren; and 6 nieces and nephews. Funeral services were held on Thursday, February 2, 2006 in Northland Funeral Home, 801 14th St. in Cloquet. Entombment was in Sunrise Memorial Park Cemetery in Hermantown.