April 1928 ~ July 2019
Kathleen Dwyer
Kathleen Lorraine Dwyer died at the ripe old age of 91 of a fall in her beloved garden and Our world lost its sparkle.
Kathleen entered the world on April 24, 1928. She was delivered by her midwife Grandmother Catherine Lucy in Powers Lake N. Dakota on the family farm into the loving arms of Agnes and Tim Lucy and their large extended catholic family.
She had three siblings: Gene Lucy, Jack Lucy and Mary Holzapfel. Only Mary is still with us.
They survived the Great Depression with Big Band barn dances, serving homemade beer and .25$ burgers and putting their trust in God.
When she was 18 she enjoyed teaching in a one-room schoolhouse.
In 1946 she met the first love of her life Lynn Helgeson and they were soon married and had 4 children, Greg Helgeson, Susan Helgeson, Mary Frank and Jean Helgeson, who all gave them grandchildren, Christie Martinez, Melanie Beck, Marlo Flanders, Laurel Paxton, Jon Helgeson and Kirsten Streamland and 12 great grandchildren. Kathleen loved children, especially babies.
In 1964 they packed up the family and moved to Aptos, or “Gods Country” where she would live happily until her death.
In 1980 Lynn passed and after a few years Kathleen was fortunate to meet Timothy Dwyer, the second love of her life, and remarry.
They shared a lovely life, traveling and enjoying their families. Their home was the center of the family. Timothy passed in 2013 of Alzheimer’s after a decade of Kathleens’ tender loving care.
Kathleen was a true matriarch, an inspiration to all who knew her. Her home, garden and family were her joy and she was ours.
She will be dearly missed.