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Helen E. Lemke • 1913 - 2006 She was born Dec. 23, 1913, in Williston, ND, a daughter of Thomas B. and Grace (McKone) Murphy. In 1919, she moved with her parents to Minot. She grew up in Minot and attended Minot schools, graduating from Minot High School in 1931. She attended Minot State College, and was employed in office work in Minot. For a brief period, she studied nursing at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. She also lived in Colorado for a time before moving to St. Paul, MN, in the late 1930's. She was employed at the 3M Company in the early years of her living there. Later, after her children were grown, she worked at JC Penney Co. She married Stan Lemke in St. Paul on Aug. 31, 1940. They lived in St. Paul and Roseville, MN, where their children were born and raised. After she and her husband retired, they moved to Chisago City, MN. In 1978, they moved to Carpinteria, CA. Following his death in 1985, she moved to San Luis Obispo, CA. In 1997, she moved to Spokane, WA, and in 2001, to Newport. Over the years, Helen returned frequently to Minot. She came when her children were small, so that they could meet their grandparents. She came back for family weddings, reunions and funerals. On every visit, she took time away from family to be with her lifelong girlfriends, the Gerties - a name they gave themselves when they were sweet young things cavorting about Minot. On her last visit, for a Murphy family reunion in 1998, she sat down with the Gerties and talked and laughed until she made herself sick. A brief respite in her hotel room brought her back to the family gathering, where there was more laughter and love, more reminiscing, more family togetherness. She reveled in her Irish heritage. She was a self-admitted flirt, drawing upon her blue, blue eyes, her dimples, her naturally curly hair. Her husband Stan never wanted her out of his sight. In recent weeks, her mind was focusing on her old friends and the place of her girlhood. It seemed that her last leave taking was all about going home. She is survived by her children, Gregory (Sandra) Lemke, Horse Shoe, NC, Jane Lemke, Vancouver, BC, Mary Louise (Donald) Comins, Newport, WA, Paula Lemke (Joseph Sallay), Surrey, BC, and Mark (Jeanne) Lemke, Atascadero, CA; grandchildren, Elizabeth Lemke, Stephanie ( Peter) Menkhaus, Tara (Jon) Sweeten, Emily, Julia and David Sallay, Elyse, Matthew (Stephanie} and Megan Lemke; great-grandchildren, Patrick, Julia and Madeline Menkhaus, Amanda and Julianne Sweeten; two brothers, Paul (Mary Jane) Murphy, Minot, and Louis (Elnor) Murphy, Seattle, WA, and two sisters, Mitzi Rohen, Lake Oswego, OR, and Grace Fisher, Minot. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, one great-grandchild, Katherine Menkhaus, and two brothers, Frank and Tom Murphy. A memorial service for Helen will be in Roseville, MN, in
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