Helen Gertrude (Konopka) La Plante

Helen G. (Konopka) La Plante, 87, was peacefully called home early Saturday morning, August 24th, 2019, surrounded by her family.

Helen was born November 3rd, 1931 to John and Anna (Gumienny) Konopka. She was raised on the family farm in Krakow, WI along with her nine siblings.

On July 4th, 1953, she married Howard W. La Plante at Krakow’s St. Casimir’s Catholic Church. Dad always teased that he lost his independence on Independence Day. Together they raised six children, eleven grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

Helen’s life was taking care of her family—even our friends called her “Mom.” There wasn’t a sickness her chicken noodle soup couldn’t cure, nor a holiday without her homemade stuffing. Her chop suey, pizza burgers, salmon patties, fried potatoes, and spare ribs and sauerkraut will be imitated, but never be duplicated. Her fridge was always full, and not even a frozen waffle could be buttered like Grandma did it.

Grandma loved any reason to get together with family and friends—especially if she was hustling you at Apple to Apples or 500 Rummy.

Her other love was music. If you’ve ever passed a Buick blasting George Jones or Conway Twitty, it was probably Grandma singing along to her favorite cassettes. She was able to meet them both in her lifetime, but was lucky she wasn’t arrested for chasing George’s bus down Hwy 41!

Helen is survived by her children Tom, Kenny (Norma), Diane (Roger Thario), Sharon Wilson, and Mike (Laura Rasmussen); grandchildren Matthew (Becky), Scott (Sonja), Shelly (Chad Hendricks), Steve La Plante, Emily, PJ, and Haley Wilson, Courtney Dix, Bobby Elliott, and Karly and Emilie Thario; brothers Al Konopka and Joe Konopka, sister Agnes Held, and sister-in-law Lorraine Konopka.

She was preceded in death by her husband Howard, her son Paul, and her daughter-in-law Linda La Plante.

There will be a visitation for Helen on Friday, September 6 at LYNDAHL FUNERAL HOME, 1350 Lombardi Ave., Green Bay from 4-7:30 PM.  A Prayer Service will take place at 7:30 PM.  Vistation will continue on Saturday, September 7 at ST. CASIMIR CATHOLIC CHURCH,  146 Park St., Krakow from 9:30-10:15 AM.  Helen’s Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 10:30 AM and will be presided over by her nephew, Father David La Plante.

The La Plante family would like to thank the staff at Kroll’s West for their friendship and old fashioned’s, as well as the women at Carolyn’s Mane Attraction for the perms and conversation.

We’ll never have another old fashioned without thinking of you, Mom.

Paul, you’ve got Ma tonight!

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Helen Gertrude (Konopka) La Plante, please visit our floral store.