Obituary: Helen Marie Marik

October 12, 1929 ~ September 11, 2020

Helen Marie Marik, 90, of Sturgeon Bay, died Friday evening, September 11, 2020 at Door County Medical Center with family at her side.

She was born at the home built by her father at 728 N. 4th Avenue in Sturgeon Bay on October 12, 1929, the daughter of William Leonard Marik and Helena Wilhelmina (Ullsperger) Marik. Helen grew up attending St. Joseph Catholic Church in Sturgeon Bay where she was baptized and confirmed. She graduated from Sturgeon Bay High School with the class of 1948 and went on to study at a business school in Green Bay for two years while working and residing there. Following her graduation from business school, Helen moved to Chicago, IL and lived together with four friends. Two years later, she and her friend, Dorothy McDougall, literally flipped a coin to decide whether they were going to move to San Francisco, CA or Las Vegas, NV. After spending a year in California, Helen returned home to Sturgeon Bay to care for her mother and worked at Sturgeon Bay Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company for seven years with her friend, June Birmingham. Helen and her mother then went to Michigan to live with her sister (and brother-in-law), Betty and George Hagen, until the passing of their mother, Helena, on March 4, 1965. She then moved to Toledo, OH to work until moving back to San Francisco in 1969. Upon her return to California, Helen worked for KFAX (religious) radio station for 14 years. Her final employment was with a Veteran Affairs Administration in San Francisco where she worked with the registrar staff as a receptionist for seven years until her retirement. Helen moved back to Sturgeon Bay in 2003 and lived there for eight years until then moving to Spokane Valley, WA in 2011 to again be close to her dear friend Dorothy McDougall Anderson. She returned home to Sturgeon Bay for good in 2013. Helen was a resident at Pine Crest Village for the last three years before recently moving to Sturgeon Bay Health Services.

Helen lived her life with an adventurous spirit and enjoyed traveling throughout the United States and Tahiti, trying her luck at the slot machines at casinos in Las Vegas, Reno, Michigan, and Wisconsin. She was an avid reader with mystery/thriller novels being her favorite (genre). Helen had a love of animals, especially her cats, Boots, Rudy, Miss Molly, and her infamous black cat among others. She also loved feeding the squirrels in her back yard.

Helen will be missed by her nieces and nephews, Sally Corff of St. Joseph, MI and Peggy (Rick) Jersey of Petosky, MI, Suzy Hemenway of Waukesha, WI, Colleen (Mike) Lampereur of Brussels, WI, Anita (Allen) Merkle of Baileys Harbor, WI, Daniel (Ann) O’Hern III, Mark (Peggy) O’Hern, both of Sturgeon Bay, and Mary O’Hern of Brussels, WI, Jeff (Pat) Hagen of Gainesville, FL, Pamella (Neal McKenzie) Hagen of Clio, MI, and Sirri (Ted) Neuman of Temperance, MI; nephew-in-law, Jon Dickie of Ypsilanti, MI; great-nieces and great-nephews; great-great-nieces and great-great-nephews; and other relatives.

She was preceded in death by her parents; three sisters, Margaret (Elmer) Wood, Dolores (Daniel Jr.) O’Hern, and Betty Hagen; niece, Mary Lou Dickie, and nephew, William Wood; nephew-in-law, William Hemenway; great-niece, Tiffany O’Hern, and great-nephew, William Lindal; great-great-nephew, Joseph Lampereur, Jr.; and other relatives.

Helen’s life will be honored with a graveside committal service held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 3, 2020 at St. Joseph Cemetery, 3737 Egg Harbor Rd., Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 with Fr. Robert Stegmann officiating. She will be laid to rest in the cemetery beside her family.

Those in attendance are to wear face masks and maintain social distancing.

Memorials may be given in Helen’s name for the Alzheimer’s Association-Greater Wisconsin Chapter or the Wisconsin Humane Society-Door County Campus.

“Our family would like to extend a special thanks to the staffs of Door County Medical Center and Unity Hospice for the compassionate care given to our aunt, Helen.“

Huehns Funeral Home, Inc. & Door County Crematory LLC in Sturgeon Bay are assisting the family. Expressions of sympathy, memories, and photos of Helen may be shared with her family through her tribute page at www.huehnsfuneralhome.com.