Kathy A. (Hietpas) Helf

Kathy Helf (Hietpas, Tackett) passed away on June 12, 2025.  

My life began on October 22, 1942, in Appleton.  My parents were John and Anita Van Offeren.  My parents parted when I was very young and I was raised by my mother.   I know she struggled but I don’t remember ever being hungry or wanting for anything.  When I was around 11, my mother remarried, and I was adopted by my step-father Kenneth Tackett.  It was an interesting adjustment for someone who was always the center of attention and now more of an observer in the background!  

I attended Washington School for kindergarten, then eight years at St. Therese Catholic School, a year at Roosevelt and then Appleton High School.  I loved high school, the friends, the activities, and all the good times. I loved skating at Jones Park, dancing at the Terrors Den and the great Park Dances.  After years of babysitting, I worked at the Appleton Theater first as a popcorn girl and then a cashier during high school.  

One of my biggest regrets in life was not attending college.  After high school, I worked various jobs until I met and married my first husband, Bob Hietpas.   We were soon blessed with three beautiful children and our lives were changed forever.  We also suffered the loss of our infant son, Jeffrey, who passed away on Christmas Eve 1968. Bob and I were very involved with our kids and their activities over the years which brought us much joy and happiness. 

I worked various part-time jobs when the kids were young and somehow ended up in the telecommunications field, which I grew to love.  This brought me to positions with Norstan Communications, Air Wisconsin, and finally finishing up my career with Kimberly-Clark. Again, I was blessed.  

We so looked forward to retirement and started off with a dream trip to Hawaii.  Unfortunately, a few months later, Bob had an accident that left him as a quadriplegic.  He hung on for almost a year, but God decided it was time to free him from his suffering and bring him home, where he could be free to fly again.  I missed him terribly but at the same time accepted that he was in a better place.  To this day, I dream about him being trapped in his body unable to move or breathe on his own.

I spent the next several years meandering around and trying to keep busy.  I was blessed to have friends who got me into golf, volunteering, and even a couple of part-time jobs but it was a very lonely time.  During this time I also became actively involved at St. Joe’s church which was like a second home to me.

Then I was blessed to meet Joe Helf and we realized that we were meant for each other and got married on August 20, 2010.   We enjoyed a great life together sharing our love of family, traveling, food, etc.  This was a very good time in my life.  

There are so many people in my life that I am so grateful for – my children, my grandchildren, and my great-grandchildren, Joe’s children and grandchildren, my golf friends, the YaYa sisters, my tap dancing friends – especially the Bourbon girls, my high school friends that I have reconnected with over the years, my work friends, my church friends – the list goes on and on.   

Kathy is survived by her husband, Joe Helf, her children, Mike (Deanna) Hietpas  and their children McKenna (Dominic) and Zach, Julie (Rick) Reader and their children Emma (Dylan), Matthew (Lynni) and Joey (Mariah), Mark “Boomer” Hietpas (Lisa) and his children Dawson, Dylan, Chloe and Maxwell.  She is also survived by 3 great-grandchildren, Colin, Brooks, and Adley.  She is also survived by Joe’s children, Sarah Helf, Amy (Don) Chilson and their children, Jack, Elise and Ella, Matt (Dawn) Helf and her daughter Tamara.  She is further survived by several brother and sister-in-laws, nieces and nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, Bob Hietpas, son Jeffrey, her parents Anita and Ken Tackett, and her mother and father in-law Rose and Joe Hietpas.

The funeral for Kathy will be held on Monday, June 23, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 404 W. Lawrence St., Appleton.  A time of visitation will be held on Monday from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the mass.  For online condolences please visit www.valleyfh.com.  In lieu of flowers a memorial is being established in her name. 

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