Obituary

Julius was born June 22, 1940, in Pierre, South Dakota, to Martin and Mary (Permann) Helm. He grew up on the family farm outside Gettysburg, South Dakota, and attended school in Gettysburg. As a young man, Julius served in the South Dakota Army National Guard, completing his service with the rank of Specialist Four and receiving an honorable discharge in 1965.

Julius eventually made his home in West Fargo, North Dakota, where he would spend more than five decades and become deeply involved in the community. He worked as a sales representative, first for Lever Brothers and later for Pillsbury. His territory included eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota, where he called on grocery stores and developed longstanding relationships with the people and communities he served.

It was while traveling for work that Julius met Mavis Jeannette Knoll in Grand Forks. They were married on May 11, 1984, in Moorhead, Minnesota, and shared more than 42 years of marriage.

Service to his community was an important part of Julius’s life. He spent 28 years as a volunteer firefighter with the West Fargo Fire Department and served 18 years on its Board of Directors, including more than 12 years as president. He took great pride in the department and the friendships he made there. When he retired from the department in 2002, Julius reflected on those years simply: “I’d do it all over again.”

Julius was an avid golfer, and retirement gave him considerably more time to enjoy the game, often with Mavis joining him. Julius and Mavis also loved to travel. Their adventures included trips to Germany and Hawaii as well as numerous cruises, many shared with Mavis’s family. Summer vacations camping at the lake with extended family were another longtime tradition.

Sports were also a big part of Julius and Mavis’s life together. They were devoted North Dakota State University Bison fans, and for more than a decade Julius worked on the sidelines at Bison football games while Mavis cheered from the stands. In later years, summer meant Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks baseball. Julius and Mavis were longtime season-ticket holders and often attended games with Kim and Doug. The friendships they developed with the people who sat around them became as much a part of going to the ballpark as the games themselves.

Family remained an important part of Julius and Mavis’s life together, and they especially treasured time with their grandchildren. They traveled often to visit family, including trips to Chicago to see Isabella and to Colorado and Washington to spend time with Greyson and Myles.

In 2025, Julius and Mavis left their longtime home in West Fargo and moved to the Lee’s Summit area to be closer to family.

Julius is survived by his wife of 42 years, Mavis; his children, Mike (Kris) Helm, Kim (Doug) Helm-Gunderson, and Monte (Melissa) Helm; and his grandchildren, Isabella, Greyson, and Myles.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Martin and Mary (Permann) Helm; his brother, Arlyn Helm; and his sister, Evelyn (Helm) Heffley.

A visitation will be held October 3, 2026, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. with a service at 4:00 p.m. at Langsford Funeral Home in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

For those unable to attend, the memorial service will be livestreamed, with a recording available afterward at the same link: https://youtube.com/live/yFqSLnwuvgU