Leon Leonard Helget

Leon "The Dude" Helget, age 73, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, July 8, 2018 at the Sleepy Eye Medical Center. Leon Leonard Helget was born on August 2, 1944 to Arthur Sr. and Louisa (Rothmeier) Helget. He attended and graduated from St. Mary's High School in 1962. After working for a few years milking and farming, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served from 1965-1968 with most of his time spent stationed in Germany. On October 10, 1971 he married LaDonna Heiderscheidt at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Sleepy Eye. Together they had two children, Lloyd and Lila. They settled in Stark Township and he farmed until his retirement. Leon was a gifted musician, learning to play the concertina by ear at a young age. He played many weddings and barn dances starting as a teenager. In 1978, he formed The Leon Helget Band. The Dude loved to play his concertina, his sound and style recognizable and like no other. He was inducted into the World Concertina Congress Hall of Fame in November of 2016. The Dude worked for 20 plus years at Del Monte, combining pea and corn pack. He was a member of and served as President of the Fraternal Order of Eagles for many years. He was a strong supporter of the Stark Baseball Association serving on the Stark Board and coaching baseball there. He was a member of St. Mary's Church, the VFW and Concertina Club. The Dude's passion was his music and the joy it would bring to others. He also enjoyed playing cards with the "Card Club", farming with his son, hunting, fishing, gardening, working on old John Deere tractors, driving his golf cart around with his dog and granddaughter, and a good BS session. He is survived by his son, Lloyd, daughter, Lila and granddaughter, Lydia Helget, siblings, Lorraine (Leon) Tauer, Arlis (Rollie) Forstner, Arthur Jr. (Annie) Helget, Ardelle "Honey" Domeier, LuAnn (Fred) Moldan and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, LaDonna, brother, Luverne "Satch" (Janet) Helget and brothers-in-law, Vincent Domeier, Laverne "Trixie" Heiderscheidt and James Filzen. Visitation 1 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm Thursday, July 12, 2018 Sturm Funeral Home, Sleepy Eye Chapel 301 - 3rd Ave. S.W. Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, United States 56085 Visitation 2 7:30 am - 9:45 am Friday, July 13, 2018 Sturm Funeral Home, Sleepy Eye Chapel 301 - 3rd Ave. S.W. Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, United States 56085 Service Information 10:30 am Friday, July 13, 2018 St. Mary's Catholic Church-Sleepy Eye 636 1st Ave. North Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, United States 56085 Interment Information St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery 720 3rd Ave. N.E. Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, United States 56085