Lucelia "Lucy" Heldt

Lucelia E. "Lucy" (Oelke) Heldt, 96, Marathon, died Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at her home under the care of Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice Services. She was born February 1, 1921 in Stirum, North Dakota to the late Albert and Ethel (Jones) Bruns. On September 29, 1945, she married Victor Oelke, who died unexpectedly in 1977. Lucy was remarried to Walter Heldt at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Marathon on September 12, 1987. He survives. Having grown up during the Depression years, Lucy left school her sophomore year to help earn money for her family. She worked in various housekeeping jobs and as a nurses' assistant at the Mount View Sanitarium in Wausau, taking care of TB patients until her marriage to Victor in 1945. She and Victor worked at Rib River Ballroom for weddings, serving bar drinks. She also worked in the ginseng gardens. Her last employment was as head cook at the Marathon High School until she retired in 1986. Lucy was a lifetime member of the American Legion Auxiliary and a PTA member at Marathon Schools. She had the distinction of the being the matriarch of St. Matthew Lutheran Church. In her spare time, Lucy enjoyed sewing, ceramics, gardening and reading. Survivors include her husband Walter Heldt, Marathon, her daughters Nancy (Rudolph) Zimbauer, Diane (Duane) Handrick, her son Donald (Sue) Oelke; her grandchildren Jody (Kelly) Seubert, Jennifer (Josh) Passehl, Jenell (Chad) Kuehne, Troy (Anne) Oelke, Stacey (Shane) Stoffel, Julie (James) Mueller; her great grandchildren Wyatt Mueller, Makeila Mueller, Bryce Seubert, Madison Passehl, Reid Passehl, Cohen Kuehne, Braham Kuehne, Olive Stoffel, Wolfgang Stoffel, Raven Stoffel, Jesse Oelke, Lucy Oelke; her siblings Lewis Bruns, Connie Hecklinger and Gladys Uryga. Besides her parents and first husband, Victor, Lucy was preceded in death by siblings Bernice Jones, Doris Jaeger, Myron Bruns, Harold Bruns, Vernon Bruns, Charles Bruns, Melvin Bruns and Julia Bergman. Funeral services will take place 11:00 a.m. Monday, December 11, 2017 at St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church, Marathon. Pastor Jon Hadler will officiate. Burial will be in St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery, Marathon. Friends may call from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. until the time of services at the church. The family wishes to give a special thank you to Aldin Elder Home Care for their wonderful care and support of our mother and also the Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice Services team for their home care visits with our mother. Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed at www.petersonkraemer.com.