Obituary of Helen Ohnesorge

Helen Rachael (Dressler) Ohnesorge, age 103, passed away peacefully on December 31, 2024, at the Glenn Buffalo Memory Care in Buffalo, Minnesota, her home for the past 2+ years. 

She was born in Racine, Wisconsin on December 10, 1921 to Jonas Hoke and Helen Louise (Tiedemann) Dressler. The family moved to Minnesota when she was a young girl. Helen grew up in northeast Minneapolis, graduating from Edison High School in 1939. She attended Miss Wood’s Kindergarten-Primary Teaching School, earning her teaching diploma in 1941. She also attended the University of Minnesota, College of Education, graduating in 1946. She met her husband, Paul, through church choir friends and they married in October of 1947. 

Her lifelong love and association with Lake Minnetonka began in the late 1920s when her father built the family cottage on Phelps Island in Mound, Minnesota. They spent their summers “at the lake” and Helen had many wonderful memories and stories of growing up on Lake Minnetonka. Helen and Paul built a home next door to the Dressler cottage in Mound and raised 3 daughters there. Once the girls were school-aged, she spent many years as a substitute teacher in the Mound Westonka schools. 

Helen enjoyed gardening and grew many plants, but she was especially fond of hostas, which filled her yard on the lake. 

Later in life, Helen chose to volunteer at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, a natural fit with her love of plants. She donated her time to the Andersen Library and the Arboretum Auxiliary. She really liked gathering, drying, and pressing flowers, which were then turned into cards to be sold at the various auxiliary fundraising events.  

She was a dedicated volunteer for Meals on Wheels in the Mound area for many years. 

Helen was a longtime active member (60+ years), of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Wayzata, Minnesota. She enjoyed teaching Sunday school, volunteering, singing in the choir, bible studies, the quilting group, and Freetimers get togethers, among other things.

Music played a big part in her life and she hardly went a day without playing the piano, listening to classical music, or singing. The hardest part of moving to Buffalo a few years ago was giving up her grand piano, which she had owned since she was a teenager. 

Helen liked card games, puzzles, and playing Scrabble with friends and family. She was always up for a game of Scrabble; she was good at it and she usually won, too! 

Helen was preceded in death by her parents Jonas and Helen Dressler, her brother and sister-in-law George and Harriet Dressler, her sister and brother-in-law Janet and Howard McKie, and her husband, Paul. 

She is survived by her daughters Anne (Tony) Haga, Jean (Frank) Cafferty, Janet (Scott) Gyllen; 6 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Additional survivors include sister-in-law Carol Weidt, sister-in-law and brother-in-law Floy and Lee Barthel; many nieces and nephews, and extended family. 

A Memorial Service is planned for April 12, 2025, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 3745 Shoreline Drive, Wayzata. Visitation at 10:00am, service at 11:00am, followed by lunch at 12 noon. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church or the Andersen Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

The family would like to extend their gratitude to the Glenn Buffalo for their compassionate care. Helen made many friends there among the staff and residents, and we are thankful you were a part of the last years of her life.