Feb. 10, 1924 — Nov. 15, 2016

Helena Anna Mueller, 92, of Niles, died peacefully following an extended illness at 7:25 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016, with family gathered around at West Woods of Niles.

She was born Feb. 10, 1924, in Świętochłowice, Poland, to Wilhelm and Anna (Czembor) Zogretski.

She attended school in Poland. In 1949, following the war, she immigrated to the U.S. with her husband and young son.

They settled in Little Falls, Minnesota, where she was employed as a sewing machine operator for the former Munsingwear company, and later served as a cook for The Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls. She then moved to the Minneapolis area to be nearer to her children. She finally settled in Niles in 2000.

Helena was a member of Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church in Niles. She was delighted to be a homeowner, and enjoyed making home improvements, gardening and yardwork. She also enjoyed knitting and crochet, she could usually be found making hats and blankets for newborn babies, and mittens for the church’s mitten tree.

She was preceded in death by a son, Richard Mueller, who died in 1974, and by seven siblings.

Surviving family includes her children, Kazimir Mueller of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Joanna Mueller-Hunt (Joseph) of Niles, Jerry (Lola) Mueller of Shoreview, Minnesota, Christian (Jerzy) Miler of Vermillion, Minnesota, and Anita Mueller of Columbia, Tennessee; grandchildren Danial (Nicole) Mueller, Erica (Billy) Babineaux, Andrea (Jeremy) Hoglund and Norah (Steve) Fries; great-grandchildren Gabriel, Sophia, Jude, Ezra, Emma, Eleanor and Zelda; Helena’s sisters, Teresa VanGuyzen of Canada and Christa Mittula of Germany; a brother, Joseph Zogretski of Germany; and many nieces and nephews.

A funeral service for Helena Mueller will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 18, 2016, at Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church in Niles, with the Rev. Joseph T. Liss of the church officiating. The family will receive relatives and friends beginning at 10 a.m. Friday at the church. Interment will be at a later date in Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Little Falls.

Contributions in memory of Helena Mueller may be made to Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church, 1340 Sycamore St., Niles, MI 49120.

Arrangements were made at Halbritter-Wickens Funeral Home in Niles.