Helen M. Kapral

Helen Kapral, age 95, former resident of Owatonna and Alexandria, MN and Oak Ridge, TN, passed away on December 25, 2020, in North Mankato, MN.

Memorial service will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 15, 2021 at Messiah Lutheran Church, 1706 Lee Blvd., North Mankato with a visitation for one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 15, 2021 at Forest Hill Cemetery in Owatonna, MN. The service will be livestreamed on Helen's obituary page at www.mankatomortuary.com.

Helen was born on June 21, 1925 to Carl and Esther (Anderson) Besonen in Moe Township, MN. She graduated from Alexandria High School with the class of 1943. After graduating, she moved to Minneapolis and was employed with companies producing products for the war effort: General Mills in the production of the Norton Bomb Sight and DuPont de Neumers in the production of gun powder. In 1950, she began a career with Lloyd Guthier Insurance Agency in Owatonna, MN. She also worked in the insurance field in Orlando, FL, and Oak Ridge, TN, where she retired in 1990 from the Howard Hildreth Insurance Agency.

She was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Oak Ridge, TN, and Messiah Lutheran Church in North Mankato, MN. She had a passion for helping others, including neighbors, friends, church family, and especially the elderly. She enjoyed bowling, traveling, dancing, and hiking as a member of the Tennessee Trails.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John Kapral; preterm daughter, Christine Klima; sister, Marjorie Christopher; brothers, Clinton, Donald, Gordon, and Douglas Besonen; three nieces and a nephew; second husband, Eugene Klima; and first husband, Norman Simula, who was killed in WWII.

She is survived by her sister, Cheech (Jim) Middleton of North Mankato, MN; step-daughter, Mary (Ted) Burke of Midvale, UT; two step-grandchildren; four step-great grandchildren all of Utah; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends who will greatly miss her.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Grace Lutheran Church, 131 Gettysburg Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830; Aid to Distressed Families, P.O. Box 5953, Oak Ridge, TN 37931; or Shelter Animal Rescue Group, 124 Newell Lane, Oak Ridge, TN 37930.