Helstrom, Linnea Lorraine, 85, of Caribou and Van Buren, in Van Buren, on March 20, 2012. Interment will be held later in the spring at the Capitol Hill Cemetery in New Sweden. Arrangements are in the care of Lancaster Morgan Funeral Home, Caribou.
CARIBOU – Linnea Lorraine (Ostlund) Helstrom passed away March 20, 2012 at a Van Buren health care facility after a short period of declining health.
Linnea was born on October 20, 1926 in New Sweden to George and Esther (Nelson) Ostlund. She attended Caribou High School graduating in 1944. She married Dale Helstrom on November 1, 1946 and spent the majority of their married life on the family farm in Perham raising potatoes. In addition to being a farmer’s wife, she was her husband’s right hand person on the farm performing any task needed from picking potatoes, driving the potato trucks up and down the field and to and from the potato house, counting tickets at the end of a long day in the field, managing the payroll, and keeping order in the field. Linnea also worked at Birdseye, Golding’s IGA, Mike’s Mighty IGA and at Hicks Insurance Company. Linnea was very proud of her Swedish ancestory and was very active in the Maine Swedish Colony for many years. The annual midsommar festival held in New Sweden was an event that Linnea looked forward to each year and for many years you would find her working in the Swedish gift shop at the event or providing tours of the Ostlund family homestead where she was raised. Linnea was an avid card player and thouroughly enjoyed playing canasta with “the ladies.” She was a lover of Nascar and a “die-hard” Dale Jr. fan. Linnea had very strong family values. She and Dale always put family first in whatever they did. Rich family memories of outings to the family camp at Square Lake, cross country skiing on the family farm ending with a hot dog roast “down back” on a cold winter day, Christmas eve family gatherings at Linnea and Dale’s home, attending a special event of one of the grandchildren are but a few of the things that Linnea made special for the family and that will be with those that survive her forever.
Linnea is survived by her husband Dale of Van Buren, her daughter Lucinda and her husband Robert Couture of Woodland and her daughter Kathie and her husband Greg Disy of Caribou. Linnea was a devoted grandmother and is survived by her four grandchildren Kelly Ferreira and her husband Benjamin of Phoenix, Arizona; Melanie Pratt and her husband Carl of Caribou; Jason Disy and his wife Erin of Hillsboro, New Hampshire and Joshua Disy of Caribou. Linnea is also survived by five great grandchildren who were the apple of their “old grammy”, mormor’s (grammy in swedish) eye- Brandon Moya, Logan Butler, Lexie Disy, Brody Disy and Parker Disy. She also is survived by a brother, Ralph Ostlund of New Sweden, brother in law Carl Helstrom and his wife Priscilla (Pat) of Florida; Sister in law Wanda Loveless and her husband Claude of Indiana; Sister in law Betty Dickinson and Wendell of Massachusetts and several nieces and nephews. Linnea was predeceased by her parents, brothers Emil Nelson, Oscar Ostlund, Walter (Buck) Ostlund, Gilbert Ostlund and Maynard Ostlund and sisters Alice Anderson, Ruth Carlson and Hilma Lauritsen.
Relatives and friends were invited to call from 6-8 p.m. Friday, March 23, 2012, at the Lancaster Morgan Funeral Home in Caribou. Funeral Services were held at 11 a.m., Saturday, March 24, 2012, at the Lancaster Morgan Funeral Home, 11 Clover St., Caribou with J.P. Morgan officiating. Friends called from 10 a.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home. Following the funeral, a reception was held at Kathie and Greg’s home, 6 Elm Street, Caribou. Interment will be held later in the spring at the Capitol Hill Cemetery in New Sweden. In lieu of flowers, donations in Linnea’s memory may be made to the National Parkinson Foundation, www.parkinson.org. Memories and condolences may be expressed to the family at www.lancastermorgan.com.
