Anthony "Ed" Helmueller

Anthony “Ed” Helmueller, 81, died September 5, 2019, on a pleasant early-fall evening under home hospice care while contently watching the Packers with his family. Born to Tony & Edith Helmueller, he spent his early years in Eau Galle as the big kid in his group of cousins & friends. He raised chickens & ducks as pets, hunted & fished, exuberantly played high school football, basketball & baseball and helped with his dad’s business ventures. Attending boot camp between his junior and senior years, he joined the Navy for two years of service that made a lasting impression on him. Returning to run one of the family’s small-town grocery stores in Elmwood, he refereed high school basketball and soon wed Mary Weisenbeck. Losing their first child Sharon at birth, Edward (“Jon” to most relatives) and Beth shortly rounded out the family. Looking for more stability, Ed began work on the Mississippi River with the Corps of Engineers’ derrick boat and later as a lockman, diver, lockmaster and area lockmaster in a career that spanned 33 years. Having moved to Buffalo City/Belvidere area in the late-‘60s, he served on the city council (where he was proud to be part of the area fire departments’ consolidation), town board, church finance & diocesan committees and as a director of the local bank (now Alliance). He worked hard, but always made time for fishing, boating (except for a distaste of sandbar dining), sporting events and countless trips to visit relatives & local restaurants. Ed had a mostly fabricated tough shell that his children saw right through, but which led some in-laws to threaten their kids with being sent to stay with Uncle Ed if they didn’t shape up. In later years he enjoyed auctions, collecting and traveling, primarily on car/van/bus trips with friends and family – Door County & Branson were repeat favorites. Winter snowbird trips (pushed by his son), however, never caught on with him. Aside from Mary, Edward & Beth, left to recall the good times are Ed’s son-in-law Tom Ede & family: Heather (Terry) & children Jacob, Joshua, Riley & Kaley Franz; brother Larry Helmueller; sister Nancy (Dan) Weber; in-laws Sharon (Pete) Malin, Monica (Doug) Stuart, Bill (Linda) Weisenbeck and Mike (Kathy) Weisenbeck along with many nieces, nephews, cousins & friends. Those that went before are Ed & Mary’s parents and infant daughter Sharon, Tom’s son Keith and Larry’s wife Denise. Special thanks to Dr. David Momont and his nursing staff for decades of care and guidance. Time for family & friends will be 4-7pm Tuesday (9/10) with an additional hour before the 11am Wednesday (9/11) funeral mass and lunch – all taking place at St. Lawrence Catholic Church on 2nd Street in Alma, WI. A private service will be held at the Buffalo City cemetery later in the day. Memorials to St. Lawrence Church, Tri-Community Fire Department or Scenic Valley Ambulance are preferred.