Funeral services for Marie L. Helland, age 85, formerly of Emmons, will be held at 1:30 p.m. today, April 26, at the Emmons Lutheran Church. The Rev. Julie Fiske will officiate. The burial will be in the Mansfield Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation was 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 25, at the Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home, and one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday.

Marie died on Friday, April 23, 2004 at St. John’s Lutheran Home.

Marie Louise Emma Helland was born on June 26, 1918, in Pickerel Lake Township, the daughter of Albert and Amelia (Behle) Beck. She was baptized and confirmed at the Concordia Lutheran Church, Pickerel Lake.

On June 23, 1943, Marie was married to Clarence Helland at Concordia Lutheran Church of Pickerel Lake. The couple farmed until their retirement in 1976 when they moved to Emmons. Marie worked as a custodian at the Mansfield Lutheran Church and worked as an aide and in the housekeeping department at St. John’s for 26 years. She was a member of the Emmons Civic Improvement Club, the Emmons Senior Citizens, and the Emmons Lutheran Church. She was a former member of the Mansfield Lutheran Church. She was active in both churches in Circles and WELCA. She enjoyed traveling and took many bus trips with the Sunshine Traveler’s Club.

Survivors include her daughter, Janet Olson of Albert Lea; daughter-in-law, Anita Helland of Emmons; grandchildren: Curtis and his wife Marie Helland of Alden, Jason and his wife Shari Helland of Delavan, Matthew Helland of Pella, Iowa, Amy Olson of Rochester, and Christopher Olson of Waseca; great-grandchildren: Anjelia Helland, Jacob Helland. Jenna Helland, and Danielle Helland; sister, Isabel and her husband Darryl Lee of Albert Lea; and sister-in-law, Dorothy Beck of Conger.

Marie was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Clarence; her son, James; her brothers: Carl and Ed Beck; her sisters: Irene and her husband Carl Johnson, and Freida and her husband Arnold Sorenson; and a sister, Anna, in infancy.