Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Helm, Seversen, Marg
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 5/31/2017
American Legion Recognizes (Helm & Seversen – 2017)
By Todd Schmidt
Neillsville American legion Post #73 will recognize military veterans Roger J. Helm, and George Seversen during its monthly recognition program Monday, June 5. Social hour is scheduled at 4:30 p.m., with a potluck meal stating at 5:30 p.m. and the recognition program to follow.
Legion members and community supporters are warmly invited to attend.
Roger Helm joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard 32nd Infantry Division in 1959. He was honorably discharged in December 1965. He will be recognized for his military service during a program Monday, June 5, at Neillsville American Legion Post #73. (Contributed photos)
Helm was born in the former hospital on State Street in Neillsville. He attended grade school in Granton for the first five years, then two years at the Wildrose School, and graduating from the eighth grade at his church’s school. He graduated from the Granton High School in 1955.
Helm attended UW-Madison for the short farm course for two years, as he had taken agriculture classes in high school for four years. He farmed with his father for three years.
In 1959, he joined the Army National Guard 32nd Infantry Division out of Neillsville. He went to basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, and then went for advanced infantry training at Fort Jackson, SC.
In 1961, Helm was activated to Ft. Lewis, WA, along with guard units from all over Wisconsin, and other inactive guard units from different states. This was during the Berlin Crisis.
The training at Ft. Lewis was in the desert and the rainforest. Helm remembers the planes were on the tarmac ready to go to Berlin, and then the sortie was called off. He never told his parents.
Helm returned to his home in 1962. He took over the family farm in February 1963. He married Caroline Marg in May 1963, and they farmed until selling the farm in 1993.
Helm was honorably discharged in December 1965.
They moved into the village of Granton in 1997. Roger worked for seven months in a milking parlor for another farmer.
He then went to work as a janitor at Granton Schools, for two years. After that he worked for 10 ½ years for a professional office cleaning firm. He “retired” but continued to work until 2010.
Roger and Caroline have four daughters, Debbie, Sandy, Lisa, and Donna. They have seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Roger and Caroline have traveled to 25 different states, plus Mexico, and Canada. They celebrated their golden anniversary in 2013, with a cruise, and land tour of Alaska.
He keeps himself busy with his garden. He has been a Legion member for 18 years.
“I thank the Legion for this honor,” he said.
George Seversen joined the naval Reserves out of Madison in February 1954. He was honorably discharged in November 1957. He will be recognized for his military service during a program Monday, June 5, at Neillsville American Legion Post #73. (Contributed photos)
Seversen was born in Madison. He lived in Union and attended a one-room grade school. He graduated from Evansville High School in 1955.
He became active duty in February 1956, and spent six months working in a security office at the pentagon in Washington, D.C.
Seversen was transferred to the US Naval Communications Facility in Yokosuka, Japan, where he continued his work in security. He was honorably discharged in November 1957.
After returning home, he worked at Rock County Buick in Janesville until the fall of 1958. For the next seven years, he worked in the factory at GM Fisher Body in Janesville.
He then went to the Chrysler Company in Belvidere, IL. In 1978, he was promoted to Chief inspector and sent to the Newark Assembly in Newark, DE.
In 1985, Seversen was promoted again to Regional Area Manager at the Sterling Heights Assembly in Sterling, MI. He retired in 1992.
He married Betsy in 1970. They moved to Neillsville in 1993, to take care of Betsy’s mother.
They have seven children, Kathy, Jenny, Pam, Nanette, Tisha, Tim, and Terry. None of the children live in the area. They have 14 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.
George and Betsy travel in their motorhome, and spend the winters in Alabama. He says he “used to hunt and fish.”
He and Betsy have traveled and camped in every state. He raises a vegetable and flower garden during their summers in Neillsville.
