Helen L. Senn

Helen L. Senn, 92, of La Crosse, died on Sunday, March 22, 2020 at the Gundersen Health System in La Crosse. Born and raised here, make no mistake that Helen loved La Crosse. It is where she started and ended her life – in the shadow of the bluffs. She was a student at Holy Trinity; sang lead in the operetta at Aquinas high school; learned to ice skate on the river at Pettibone Park; took road trips with girlfriends in a car called the Black Mariah. Grand Dad Bluff is where she accepted a proposal of marriage. La Crosse is where they began their family, although work moved them to Minnesota and on to Fond du Lac. They returned home here some 15 years later.

Helen loved people and had a knack for sales – selling everything from shoes to china at Doerflingers & Garvalia’s in downtown La Crosse. She had a zest for life and high adventure. She left this world without completing 4 items on her bucket list - skydiving; riding a zipline; walking the glass bottom Skywalk of the Grand Canyon; and getting a ride in Matt Kenseth’s race car. She was perhaps his biggest fan, if not his oldest.

Positivity was her rule of thumb. It served her well, as did her deep faith. It was her sustaining grace. She will be missed, but her spirit remains and will be at work for years to come.

She is survived by a son Mike (Barbara), a daughter Debra (Bill) Janssen, and her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Kathryn (Joel) Cassady and their daughters Hannah and Bridget, Daniel Janssen, Christopher Senn, and Kevin (Christine) Senn and their daughters Peyton, Dylan, and Reagan. She was preceded in death by her husband George and a sister Dorothy.

A private family Mass of Christian burial was celebrated at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. The family is asking that any memorials be sent to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Onalaska. Online guestbook available at www.schumacher-kish.com . Helen’s family would like to thank her friends at Pine Ridge Apartments for their friendship, watchful eyes, and care for Mom over the years.