Helen Puls

Helen G. Puls 91, Scott Township, passed away on December 1, 2010 at the Rice Lake Convalescent Home, Rice Lake, WI. Helen was born on December 27, 1918 to John & Sophie Gyurasko in Manhattan, NY. Helen grew up in Manhattan and graduated salutatorian from Julia Richmond High School in 1939. She went on to attend the Julliard School of the Performing Arts for the violin, performing her first solo debut at Carnegie Hall. She was introduced into the medical field by working with one of the New York City coroners. During the war years, she volunteered her nurse's aide skills with the American Red Cross at Fort Monmouth, NJ. She married Donald O.Puls in New York City on December 2,1948. Helen held a variety of positions over her long employment history. As a teenager she started out working for Macy's Department store as a sales girl. Over the years she held other retail positions, such as, working in the housewares department at Gimbel's, in the incoming freight department at Dayton's located in downtown Minneapolis, then to the upstairs cosmetic counter for Max Factor and later as a buyer for a small drug store department at Dayton's in the Brookdale Mall. She also worked for Allis Chamber's in Milwaukee, WI. During the war years, she relocated to Red Bank, NJ where she was employed at an ammunitions factory making detonators for rockets and other military armament. Later, she relocated to California and secured a position at Lockheed Aviation Manufacturer working in the secretarial pool. She lived in at least 7 different states, eventually making her home on Mystery Lake. While in the area she worked as a CNA and home health aide for nearly 20 years and volunteered with the Alzheimer's Respite program before retirement. Helen enjoyed many hobbies including ceramics, caning chairs, sewing dolls, baking, casinos, hunting and was quite the avid fisherwoman. She was 1/8 lb away from winning a boat ,motor and trailer in one of the local fishing contests. She also gained honorable mention in Field and Stream magazine for her catch of a large mouth bass in 1970. She most enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, especially the newest members of the family. She will be dearly missed by her family and friends. Helen is preceded in death by her parents, husband, 2 brothers and 3 sisters. Survivors include her children, Kenneth (Ellain) Puls, Germantown, WI, Ronald Puls, American Canyon, CA, Ginger (Jeff) Whitman, Spooner, WI and Laura Rutland, Mondovi, WI; 14 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 18 ,2010 at 11:00 am at Scalzo-Taylor Family Funeral Home ,Spooner. Visitation will be one hour prior to services on Saturday. Fr. Michael Tupa will be the celebrant and Sarah Shumaker will provide the music.