Helen Virginia Harms was born Oct. 21, 1918, to George and Edith (Junod) Harms in Aberdeen. She attended the Aberdeen public schools and graduated from Aberdeen Central High School in 1936. She was homecoming queen in 1935. She attended Northern State Teachers College, the University of Wisconsin in Madison and graduated from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, S.D., in 1941. After graduation, she worked for her father in his piano and furniture store.
She married Louis E Long Jr., on Aug. 5, 1942, in Aberdeen. After World War II, they returned to Aberdeen, where they owned and operated several businesses and farms.
She was a life-long member of the Aberdeen Zion Lutheran Church. She was a member of Fellowship Circle, past member of the choir and soloist, past Sunday school teacher and past president of the Zion Lutheran Church Women. She was a member of Chapter A.X. P.E.O., Time Club, Clio study club, and bridge club, past member and president of Zonta, and past member of A.A.U.W. She was Republican committee woman for 20 years. In 1964, she was honored as First Lady of Aberdeen and became an honorary member of BETA SIGMA PHI.
She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Lorie Long Michaels and Robert A. Michaels of Wayzata, Minn.; son, Louis Harms Long of Rapid City, S.D.; six grandchildren: Jenifer Michaels Burger of Westlake Village, Calif., Allisson Michaels van Dijkum of Darien, Conn., Robert Louis Michaels of Chicago, Ill., Stas Tinigin of Kalamazoo, Mich., Amanda Long of Denver, Colo., and Max Long of Fort Worth, Texas; and five great-grandchildren: Alex Burger, Finley Burger, Alexandra van Dijkum, Julian van Dijkum and Naomi Michaels.
She was preceded in death by her husband; father; mother; and sister, Georgia Ann Quinn.
Funeral Services will be 2 p.m., Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, at Zion Lutheran Church, 1732 South Main St., Aberdeen, with Pastor Tanya Rist presiding. Burial will take place at Riverside Memorial Park, Aberdeen.
Schriver's Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, 414 Fifth Ave. N.W., Aberdeen, is in charge of arrangements. Friends may sign her online guestbook at schrivers
memorial.com.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m., Sunday, at the mortuary and one hour prior to the service at church on Monday.
Helen passed away Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012, at Meridian Manor in Wayzata, Minn., at age 94.