Helen Gatten

Helen Elaine Gatten, 77, passed away Friday February 24th, 2012 at the Saint Mary’s Hospital in Superior Wisconsin. Helen was born September 14, 1934 on a farm 5 miles east of St. Croix Falls Wisconsin, to Fred and Veva McKenzie. She had just one brother, Jerry McKenzie. In the fall of 1940 Helen started school at the Bear lake school. In 1948 she went to High school in St. Croix Falls. And in 1952 she graduated from high school. After school she worked for 2 years in Balsam Lake for the PSC office, when she quit it was known as the ASC office. She then went to work for 1 year in the twin cities area for the Northwestern National Life Insurance Company. In the fall of 1956 Helen attended the Polk County Teachers College, in St. Croix Falls for 2 years. Her first teaching job was at Pleasant View School, in the Amery school district where she taught for 5 years. In 1958 Helen started attended summer school in superior. In 1960 on the way back from superior she stopped in Danbury where she met Jim for the first time. They started dating in 1962 and got engaged on Valentine’s Day of 1963. They were married on September 7, 1963. In 1968 Helen received her Bachelor’s degree from Superior, and In 1970 Helen went to summer school in Eau Claire Wisconsin, for elementary special education. She also started to work for the Webster School District at that time and taught in Webster, Danbury, and Dairyland. Helen retired from teaching in 1993 after 30 years of teaching. For Helen adventure started at an early age. She talked about going to Winnipeg Canada at the age of 2 ½ and riding a tame moose. When she got older she went to the World’s Fair in Seattle Washington with some girlfriends. She traveled to Colorado on an FFA scholarship and spent a summer going to New York and San Francisco, where she met Martin Luther King and Eleanor Roosevelt. One summer she received credits for attending class in Juno Alaska. The adventures did not stop after she married Jim. There were trips to New York, Boston, Kentucky, Florida, Denver, The Black Hills, California, Israel, Egypt, and Canada. Helen went to Washington D.C. many times to visit her brother. Jim bought Helen a Water bike in 1975, and anyone that would come to visit would get a ride around the lake. At a younger age Helen was very active at church, the 4H and many school activities. In her later years all of her attention was taken up by grandchildren being present in her life. Helen will remain in the hearts of her loving husband of 48 years, Jim; children, Martha, Paul, and Jeff (Sheri) Gatten; grandchildren, Nathanael , Dominik, Isabella and Cullen; sister-in-law, Myrtle (Ben) Goodley, Betty McKenzie; Nephews, Michael and Brian; Nieces, April and Robyn. She is preceded in death by her Father, Fred, mother, Veva, and brother, Jerry. Funeral services were held on Friday March 2, at the First Baptist Church in Webster with Pastor Tim Quinn officiating. Helen was laid to rest at the Balsam lake cemetery. The Swedberg-Taylor Family Funeral Home, Webster, was entrusted with arrangements. Online condolences can be made at www.swedberg-taylor.com