Helen Petersen

Helen Constance Petersen, age 80, passed away Saturday, January 17th at Edgewood Vista Memory Care. Helen is remembered by many friends and family members in the Brainerd and Crosby area. 

Born in Brainerd, Helen was one of 10 children born to Florence (O’Toole) and Harold Cecil Chamberlin and later stepdaughter to Madeline (LaSart) Chamberlin. She attended high school in Crosby, but ended up graduating from Mount Rainier High School, in Seattle, Washington. Helen intended on becoming a nurse and worked as a Ward Clerk at St. Joseph’s hospital in Brainerd, before eventually staying at home to take care of her family and run a home daycare. She cared for many Brainerd families during her 35 years of running the home daycare. 

Helen loved kids, dogs, quilting, biking, and swimming. She was happiest when she was behind the camera capturing family moments, holding a baby, or helping others. 

Helen and her loving husband, Gary Petersen, were married for 58 years. She is preceded in death by her parents and stepmother, her sisters Mary Elizabeth Nelson, Dorothy Jones, and Florence Makousky, and her twin brother Harold Carl Chamberlin. She is survived by her eight children, 15 grandchildren, and one great granddaughter, as well as by her siblings Lawrence (Linda) Chamberlin, Bernard (Patty) Chamberlin, Earl (Barney) Chamberlin, Martha (John) Cloutier, Edward (Dawn, deceased) Chamberlin, Robert Chamberlin, Melissa (Randy, deceased) Adair, and Margaret (Thomas) Schrader. 

Visitation for Helen will be held at Brenny Family Funeral Chapel in Baxter, Thursday, January 22, from 4-6 p.m. Mass will be held at St. Francis Church in Brainerd, Friday January 23, at 11 a.m. There will be an hour of visitation prior to Mass and burial immediately following the Mass at Brainerd’s Evergreen Cemetery. Lunch will follow the burial back at St. Francis Church. 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to organizations that support Alzheimer’s or children and youth services.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Brenny Family Funeral Chapel, Baxter.