Robert L. Helbing

Robert (Bob) Lester Helbing, 88, faithful and caring, much-loved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend, passed away on Friday, April 18, 2025.

Visitation for Bob will be at St. Stephen’s Ev. Lutheran Church in Beaver Dam on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. Funeral services will follow at church on Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. with Rev. Philip Heyer officiating. Burial will be at Highland Memory Gardens in the Town of Trenton.

Beaver Dam was Bob’s home while growing up with four sisters, Phyllis Smith, Mary Schmidt, Lou Ann Cain, and Ellie Schoeffel. Following graduation from Beaver Dam High School in 1954, he worked for the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad before marrying a Horicon native, Donna Marsch in 1959. Bob was in the U.S. Army from1959-1962, and his tours took them to live in Colorado and Hawaii for three years.

In 1964, Bob and Donna welcomed their first of four daughters with the birth of twins, Wanda and Wendy, followed by Gwendolyn in 1969 and Amanda in 1972. Bob took great pride in his 30-year career as an officer for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections in Waupun.

Bob especially enjoyed the great outdoors – hunting with his labs Dusty and Brandy, summer fishing trips to northern Wisconsin, gardening, and peaceful walks along Beaver Dam Lake. He loved getting a “cup”puccino (his jargon for cappuccino) at the nearby Kwik Trip, league bowling, visiting with friends at the Dodge County Senior Center, and collecting all kinds of trinkets (both treasures and junk) at local garage sales. Every summer, Bob packed Donna and the four girls (with Barbies, crayons, and fishing poles) into the Caprice Classic with the pop-up camper in tow, to adventures – the Badlands, the Corn Palace, and the World’s Fair in Knoxville. Upon retirement, Bob and Donna enjoyed their annual winter vacation to sunny Florida. He was a faithful member and volunteer of St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church in Beaver Dam.

Survivors include his four children, Wanda (Dan) Gonnering, Mauston, Wendy Welch, Beaver Dam, Gwendolyn (Rob) Conner, Portland, Oregon, and Amanda Egelseer, Cedarburg; seven grandchildren, Carrie, Taylor, Nolan, Lacey, Avery, Hanna, and Emma; great-grandchildren, Evan, Greyson, and Paisley; and special friends, Wayne and Joyce Mohr and Dan Hahn. He was preceded in death by his wife, siblings, and parents Lester and Selma (Griesbach) Helbing.

A special thank you to all the Hillside Hospice team, Epic Care Solutions, and Rev. Philip Heyer at St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church. Your thoughts and prayers are so appreciated.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to honor Bob Helbing’s memory by supporting a place he deeply loved – the Horicon Marsh. Your gift will help preserve the natural beauty and wild spaces he cherished for future generations.

Donations may be made to:

Friends of Horicon Marsh
N7725 Highway 28
Horicon, WI 53032
or online at: https://horiconmarsh.org/product/donate/

Additional contributions may be made to Hillside Hospice, a nonprofit organization that provides compassionate care in our community.

Beaver Dam Community Hospitals Foundation, Inc.
707 S. University Ave.
Beaver Dam, WI 53916