Helen L. Buche, age 85, passed away at her home in St. Paul on July 6, 2019.
Born November 17, 1933, in Preston, Minn., Helen was preceded in death by her parents Stanley and LaVeta (nee Mullane) Nelson and beloved aunt Agnes Mullane.
Helen is survived by her husband of 61 years, John Buche; and their three children: Carol Buche and her husband Jason Hawke, Karen Buche Clark and her husband Don, Karl Buche and his partner Cheryl Elsey; nephew Michael Kislack and his wife Wanda, nephew Stephen Kislack and his partner Joseph Liu, and niece Susan Kislack Torma and her husband Michael.
After being raised in Preston and graduating high school there, Helen graduated with honors from Winona State Teachers College in 1955, where she was awarded the Purple Key by the Honor Society. In 1977 Helen was awarded two Masters of Science degrees, in Reading and Special Education, and was an elementary school remedial reading teacher for many years in the Smithtown school district on Long Island, N.Y. In November 1992, just before she retired, she was the recipient of the New York State Reading Association’s Reading Teacher Award for Outstanding Service in Reading Education.
Helen married John in Lafayette, Ind., while John attended Purdue University, where he graduated as a Naval officer. Helen raised her three children through years of frequent moves to various Naval assignments: as far north as Syracuse, N.Y., as far east as Norfolk, Va., as far south as New Orleans La., and as far west as Honolulu, Hawaii. She was very proud of the fact that her children only missed a half day of school through all the moves. After John retired from active duty they settled on Long Island, where Helen restarted her teaching career.
After her retirement, Helen and John returned to Minnesota and bought a grand old house in the Summit Hill neighborhood in St. Paul, Minn., which they took great delight in restoring to its former grandeur. During her years in St. Paul she was a tireless volunteer in community affairs as a member of the American Association of University Women, the volunteer coordinator for the Summit Hill House Tour, and president of the Norwegian organization Totenlaget in America.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday, July 16 at 11 a.m. at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, 650 Palace Ave., St. Paul, Minn., with visitation one hour prior to the service.