Arlys Helmbrecht

Arlys Helmbrecht, age 86, of Milbank, died on Sunday, January 1, 2017, at Rita’s Home Care in Milbank.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, January 12, at 11:00 a.m. at Central United Methodist Church in Milbank with Rev. Thom Bowsher and Rev. Dr. DeVern Schwenn officiating. Burial will follow in the Milbank City Cemetery.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, January 11, from 5-7 p.m. at Mundwiler Funeral Home with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will continue on Thursday for one hour prior to the time of service at the church.

Casket bearers will be Arlys’ grandsons: Andrew Helmbrecht, Daniel Helmbrecht, David Helmbrecht, Joseph Helmbrecht, Aaron Sandberg, Brian Helmbrecht, and Jacob Helmbrecht. Honorary bearers include Arlys’ granddaughters: Kristine Green, Amy Watson, Melissa Morton, Andrea Del Real, Teresa Kuipers, and Kerri Minder.

Arlys I. (Grabow) Helmbrecht was born on June 12, 1930, in Milbank, SD. She was the daughter of Lloyd Grabow Sr. and Bertha (Blood) Grabow.

Arlys was united in marriage to the love of her life, Wilbert F. Helmbrecht, on April 10, 1948. To this union, they were blessed with five children.

When her children were all in school, Arlys entered the work force. She worked for the Milbank school lunch program at Koch school for three years, spent three years clerking at Gibson’s, and four years as a bookkeeper at Allied Services. Her last career was as a Personal Underwriting Clerk for Milbank Mutual Insurance Company, a position she held for 14 years. She belonged to a sewing club and a bridge club. Arlys and Bert enjoyed many great trips together, and enjoyed gardening. Her flower garden was a great source of pleasure. She was like a mother to the neighborhood children, a very kind and gentle person. She was a long time member and flag carrier for the American Legion Auxiliary. Bert and Arlys enjoyed playing whist with anyone who would play. Bert also said, “she was the best cook in the world” – which her children whole heartedly agreed. Bert and Arlys also enjoyed their lake home, watching the birds, and spoiling their dogs. Arlys was a life-long member of the Evangelical United Brethren and Central United Methodist Church.

Left to cherish her memory are her children: Gaylord (Loretta Andersen) of Sioux Falls, SD; Sandra (Gary Gann) of Nashville, TN; David (Karen Seefeldt) of Milbank, SD; Gina (Cliff Marohl) of Aberdeen, SD; eleven grandchildren; seventeen great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; three step-grandchildren; three step-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Also happy to have shared her life was her brother-in-law, Myron (Sharon) Helmbrecht of Fort Myers, FL; and her sister-in-law, Agnes Grabow of Milbank, SD;

She was preceded in death by her husband Wilbert on October 23, 2016; her parents; son, Ronald; grandson, Matthew; and her brother, Lloyd Grabow, Jr.