MADELIA Clayton Helling, 92, of Madelia, died Sunday, June 17, 2012, at the Luther Memorial Home in Madelia.
Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m., Saturday, June 23 at Linden Lutheran Church, rural Hanska with Rev. Aaron Suomala Folkerds officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery.
Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Friday at Schmucker Funeral Service in New Ulm and one hour prior to the service at the church.
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Clayton Elroy Helling, the son of John and Stella (Lundberg) Helling, was born Sept. 24, 1919 in Hanska. After graduating from Hanska High School in 1937, he attended the University of Minnesota Agriculture School. After graduating in 1939, he returned to Linden Township to operate the family farm. Clayton was united in marriage to Ardys Olson on January 25, 1946 at the Lake Hanska Lutheran Church parsonage. They made their home on the family farm in Linden Township, Brown County. After retiring in 1992, they moved to Madelia. After Ardys died in 2007, Clayton continued to make his home in Madelia. He served on the Hanska School Board and was an active member of Linden Lutheran Church where he served on the Cemetery Board.
Survivors include his children, Franz Helling and his wife Alicia of Hanska, Andrea Olsen and her husband Rev. Ralph H. Olsen, Jr. of Woodbury, Kerry Hooper and her husband William of Lake Elmo, Jan Helling and his wife Linda of Hanska, Jason Helling of Woodbury; 16 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; sisters, Lorraine Larson of Rochester, JeLaine Lee of Woodbury; brother, John Helling of New Richmond, Wis.; several nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives.
In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his sons, Steven Helling in infancy, in 1947, and Mark Helling in 2008.