George Richard Helm

Visitation will be held from 3 to 6 PM on Sunday, April 5, 2009 at Peterson-Johnson Funeral Home in Milaca. Interment will take place on Monday, April 6, 2009 at 11 AM at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery at Fort Ripley. George Richard Helm died of complications due to a heart attack on March 31, 2009. He was born on October 19, 1921 in Chicago, Ill. to Hubbard D. Helm and Georgia R. (Jewell) Helm. He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Carroll, on December 1, 2001. He is survived by his sons William Joseph and Timothy George. Joe, a Mechanical Engineer and president of Northwest Engineering Service, Inc., his wife Suzette and son Zeno live in Salem, Oregon. Tim, a computer support specialist with ATT, his wife Dorothy and their two daughters Carroll and Samantha live in Farmington, Minnesota. George grew up in Maywood, Ill. where he attended Garfield Grammar School, and Proviso Township High School. Not graduating with the rest of his class, he completed summer school in 1940. It was here on the streets in front of his house that he learned to fight for what he believed in. His siblings include Edward, Hubbard, (both deceased) and Virginia (Helm) Kuecker, of Phoenix, Arizona. His service record includes: • Illinois Reserve Militia 2/28/41 to 5/21/42 Private 2nd Regiment Infantry • US Army 11/9/43 to 6/15/46 Private 9th Infantry Division Decorations include The Bronze Star – for ground operations in Battle of the Bulge • US Army 6/15/46 to 6/14/49 Sergeant • US Army National Guard 5/8/50 to 9/5/52 Second Lieutenant Infantry A skilled auto mechanic, George was fascinated with all things mechanical. This was especially true for equipment with engines attached. After the war he worked for the Navy at the U.S. Naval Ordinance Plant in Forest Park, Ill. There he developed skills as a machinist building steam driven torpedoes. This steady job helped to fund his motorcycle habit until April of 1956. During this time he was an avid motorcycle rider and racer. He never passed up a chance to compete against the hated Harleys on road or track. He loved the Indian Chief and the Sports Scout so much that he opened Maywood Indian Sales and realized his dream of becoming his own boss. His garage and his shop were always jammed with motorcycles, many of which belonged to frustrated riders that couldn’t keep them running. His skill at fixing bikes became as legendary as his temper. His business prospered due in no small part to his wife Carroll. He sold her an Indian Arrow, taught her to ride, married her in 1950 and changed her job description from an Army Nurse to Business Manager. He started a motorcycle club, the Maywood Mustangs, and as president convinced the group to run races. The first venue was at a baseball diamond called Cole Lenzies just outside of Chicago, the second was at a real speedway called Santa Fe Park in Willow Springs, Ill. When he quit competing himself, he sponsored many riders and they raced all over the Midwest. When the Indian Company sold out to British made Royal Enfield, he took on several other British marques including Ariel, AJS, Matchless, and BSA. In the early 60’s, he decided he wanted to own more than just a motorcycle dealership, he wanted to own a Speedway. In 1964 he moved his family to a broken-down farm in Pease, Minn. and began planning the layout of his new racetrack, Helm’s Speedway. Carroll couldn’t believe that instead of burning down the vacant house that was missing windows, doors and indoor plumbing, he actually figured he could fix it up and live in it. Despite being naïve about marketing his business ventures in an unfamiliar culture and his profound lack of understanding regarding construction practices, he pressed on where others would surely have given up. He always tried to use the precision of a machinist on projects requiring only a rough order of magnitude. This approach frustrated friends and family alike. He did, however, take great pride in his accomplishments. Although modest, they were victories over all sorts of adversity – The Great Depression, war, his infamous temper and lack of formal education. Fixing the unfixable and taking up the challenge at doing what others said couldn’t or shouldn’t be done is what kept him active in body and mind right up until his heart attack in March of 2009.