Helga Margarete Borrmann was born on May 26, 1928, in Marienburg, Germany. She was part of a very close-knit family, along with her parents and her brother, Klaus, six years her senior. Although her dad passed away from malaria (contracted when he served in World War I) when Helga was only eight years old, she had many fond memories of him and their family celebrations at birthdays and holidays. She loved listening to her mother play the piano in the evenings and fondly recalled her dad’s love of a fine cigar. Family was important to her from her earliest days.

When World War II arrived, her older brother served in the military, and Helga and her mother stayed alone together in their home until the frontiers of the war were advancing on their hometown. They fled to Berlin, taking with them only what they could carry, where they stayed with a beloved aunt. Eventually, Berlin became a dangerous place as well, and they relocated to a refugee camp in Ansbach, in central Germany. Shortly after the war ended, she met a handsome young German soldier in the refugee camp named Hubert. He was forced there because his hometown was under Soviet/East German control and he could not return home. Helga and Hubert fell in love and they made two hugely important decisions: they would get married, and they would emigrate to the United States. Hubert had learned much about America from the GI’s he’d met in a POW camp where he served as an interpreter. Since Helga had also learned English and was working as an interpreter, they made plans to move to America

1950 was a watershed year for Helga. She and Hubert got married and moved to the United States, settling in St. Paul, Minnesota, where Hubert had a distant relative who served as their sponsor. Helga immediately set about making their small apartment on the West Side of St. Paul a home, and Hubert worked multiple jobs to provide for the family. Helga also worked outside the home until they welcomed their daughter, Heidi, in 1952, and son, Harald, in 1954. Helga dedicated her life to her small family and, despite meager resources, she took rightful pride in a lovely and warm home for her family, friends and guests.

Helga and Hubert moved to their first house in Shoreview in the mid-1950’s. Unlike today, Shoreview at that time was rural, which allowed them to afford a small bungalow. Helga was a meticulous homemaker which, considering her tumultuous childhood, was nothing short of amazing! During this time, she was able to welcome her dear mother and brother to her new home for visits – what fun they had, reuniting at last! While she missed her friends from Marienburg, she stayed in touch for decades with some of her school friends by letter. In fact, Helga continued to correspond with one friend for over 70 years, until her friend’s passing just a few years ago. Helga was truly a letter writer. If you wrote her, you would always quickly get a return letter. If you wrote her a thank-you letter, she would respond with a thank you for the thank-you letter. She was one of the great letter writers of her time! In fact, Helga was still writing letters to friends and relatives right up until she moved to hospice.

Helga and her family moved a couple of times, always looking for communities with good schools for their children. Schools were a top priority for Helga and Hubert, and they were committed to providing the best education possible for their children. No less important was the teaching of morals and values. Helga and Hubert always believed in treating others with respect, love and kindness and modeled this behavior at all times. They were gracious hosts, and Helga instinctively knew how to properly welcome guests and to set a lovely table.

Faith was always a part of Helga’s life. She had what she appropriately described as a child-like faith in God. She never questioned God, although many might think she had every right to do so – but that was not who she was. She was accepting of all people, of all faiths. It made no difference to Helga – she loved everyone. Daily prayer, or more often, was her comfort.

Helga and Hubert retired to Colorado in 1978 and truly enjoyed being in the mountains. After a few years, they decided to move to warmer climes, and built a small home just west of Pensacola, Florida. While they loved it there, the lure of being closer to their grandchildren eventually won out and they moved back to Minnesota. They spent many wonderful days with their beloved grandchildren. Helga was “Oma” to them – German for grandmother. However, because her love for all was so large, she became Oma to all the neighbor kids as well. To this day, those now grown-up kids still refer to her as Oma!

Helga’s claim to fame had to be her resilience. She lost her childhood home and, one might say, a big part of her childhood and innocence. She lost her homeland. She lost her mom to cancer. In later years, she lost her brother, her husband, and eventually lost her daughter. Yet none of these losses diminished her light, or her love of people and love of life. Over the years she had to have both knees and one hip replaced. Helga contracted and defeated both COVID and pneumonia. She broke a bone in her back after a fall. And just a year ago, she persevered through a major surgery to repair a badly broken leg. At every turn, she never lost her zest for life and for “making the most of what I have”. Those were not empty words to Helga – they defined her. And after every medical setback, she would get up, dust herself off and head off to her next adventure.

After Hubert passed away in 2010, some people thought that the loss of her life partner might diminish her light. Quite the opposite happened. Helga moved into Westwood Ridge, a senior residence, and quickly felt at home! She loved her sunny apartment, and participated in many activities and developed scores of new friends. Whether it was seated Tai-Chi, monthly birthday parties, shopping trips, Scrabble, book club, exercise class, musical entertainment or her beloved Bingo, Helga was seen everywhere. She was voted Valentine Queen just a couple of years ago. And any time someone did her a favor, they would find themselves the recipient of a chocolate bar, courtesy of Helga. She loved her chocolate and she loved to share it!! Helga took walks throughout the building every day…and outside when the weather cooperated. As she slowed a bit in recent years, she continued her meandering with her trusty walker, which never let her down.

Helga’s health diminished over the course of 2025. Together, she and her family made the decision in the fall to begin hospice care in her beloved home. She received compassionate, loving and heartfelt care from the staff at Our Lady of Peace Hospice. At the very end, the decision was made to let her spend her final days at Our Lady of Peace Home in St. Paul. The staff there were equally loving and caring and gave much comfort to Helga and her family. In true Helga fashion, her first words upon arrival were: “what kind of activities do you have here?”. She passed away peacefully a few days later to be reunited with all those she had lost. It had to be a very special homecoming for Helga.

Helga was preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Hertha (Becker) Bannasch, brother Klaus Bannasch, husband Hubert Borrmann, daughter Heidi Borrmann, and other aunts and uncles. She is survived by her son, Harald (Mary) Borrmann, granddaughter Katie Riegelman (Ben Carey), grandson Erich Borrmann, granddaughter Emma Borrmann (Peter Roland), great-grandsons Brooks and Brody Riegelman, and special nephew Wolfgang Bannasch.

A Memorial Service and Mass will be held on Friday, April 24, at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church, 1500 Franklin Avenue SE in Minneapolis; visitation will be at 10:00am, Mass at 11:00am with a luncheon to follow. A private interment will be at Elmhurst Cemetery in St. Paul later that day. Memorials are preferred to Our Lady of Peace Hospice in St. Paul.

Helga was an incredibly special, beloved and loving woman, and will certainly be missed by all…