Fifth Generation

193. Marlene Janice LUDEKING was born on 24 June 1931 in Wilton Township, Monroe County, WI.^5,87

Marlene Janice LUDEKING and LaVerne L. MOSKOW were married on 27 May 1973 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁵ LaVerne L. MOSKOW was born on 17 June 1928. He died on 26 November 1997 at the age of 69 in La Crosse, La Crosse County, WI.

Marlene Janice LUDEKING and Kermit Wayne "Kerm" HELMKE were married on 10 July 1949 in Ridgeville Township, Monroe County, WI.^5,312 They^5,312 were divorced.⁵ Kermit Wayne "Kerm" HELMKE, son of Christian Friedrich HELMKE and Arvilla Caroline ALBRECHT, was born on 22 August 1926 in Wilton Township, Monroe County, WI.^87,313,314 He was baptized on 29 August 1926 in Wilton Township, Monroe County, WI.³¹³ He appeared in the census in 1930 in Wilton Township, Monroe County, WI.¹⁸² Kerm died on 2 July 2016 at the age of 89 in Centerville, Belmont County, OH.³¹⁴

Obituary Notes: "Kermit “Kerm” Helmke, of Miaimisburg passed away July 2, 2016, at Bethany Lutheran Village, Centerville, Ohio. He was born on a farm south of Tomah, Aug. 22, 1926, to Chris and Arvilla Helmke. He attended Tomah High School, graduating in 1944.

Kermit had two successful Air Force careers: one as a navigator-bombardier, the second as an aerospace engineer. He completed the remote control turret mechanic school at Lowry AFB, in 1947, officer candidate school in 1949, and navigator and radar bombing training at Ellington AFB, in 1950 and 1951. He flew his first combat tours (B-26s) out of Iwakuni Japan, March-August 1951, completing 55 successful missions in six months. Upon return to the states, he attended bomb upgrade training at Ellington AFB, Texas, and Mather AFB, California. His mission was tactical recon until 1964.

Kerm flew the B-57 and B-66 in active and passive ECM roles, weather missions, as well as photo missions. He was a high-time navigator in the B-66, with most of the work being done at Shaw AFB, South Carolina, Chelveston UK, and Toul Rosierre AFB, France. His final tour on his first career was F-105 radar training at Nellis AFB, Nevada.

After separation from the Air Force in 1967, Kerm attended the Georgia Institute of Technology and earned a Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering. Only two military retirees had successfully completed the undergraduate aero curriculum at Georgia Institute of Technology when he graduated in 1973. Upon graduation, he worked for the Boeing Company near Philadelphia, as a design engineer on the Heavy Lift Helo and at Boeing Wichita, on the KC-135 re-skin. He also worked for Beech Aircraft at Wichita, on the 1089 missile. He later accepted an offer to return to the Air Force as a civilian, working A-7 structural integrity at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. In 1979, he transferred to Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, where he worked as a design engineer on many USAF aircraft, and eventually finished service as a logistics engineering manager at AFLC headquarters.

Kerm loved all aspects of aviation. Even though both of his careers were during the “Cold War,” he managed to amass a couple thousand hours of flying in Stinsons, Taylorcarfts, Pipers, etc. His inspiration to fly came from Vic and Cora Bloyer, when he went for his first airplane ride at a Wilton Dairy Day, circa 1938.

Kermit was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Merlyn Clark Helmke; and one grandson, Alexander Maxis. He is survived by his wife, Helene’ E. Helmke , of Miamisburg, OH; a son, Dwight (Judy) Helmke of Warrens, WI; a daughter, Christine (Ike) Maxis, of Beavercreek, OH; and a son, Keith (Jill) Helmke, of Park City, UT; three grandchildren, as well as many other relatives and friends.

Kermit was a faithful Lutheran his entire life. Pastors who had a profound influence on his life were the Rev. Berg of Ridgeville, Wis., the Rev. Splett of Wilton, (confirmation July 14, 1940), Chaplain Buck (Lowry AFB), Chaplain Vargas (Nellis AFB), and most recently, Pastor Voss of Centerville, Ohio.

A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. today, July 14, at Newcomer Funeral Home, 3940 Kettering Blvd., Kettering, Ohio, 45439, with Pastor Joel Voss officiating. Family will receive friends from noon to 1 p.m. at the funeral home. Kermit’s body will be laid to rest at the VA Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio.
Memorials may be sent to the EAA Aviation Foundation, P.O. Box 3065, Oshkosh, WI 54903; and/or Resurrection Ev. Lutheran Church, 1315 E. Alex-Bell Road, Centerville, OH 45459."

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Marlene Janice LUDEKING and Kermit Wayne "Kerm" HELMKE had the following children:

Marlene Janice LUDEKING and Vernon H. BUSHING were married on 18 August 1963.⁵ Vernon H. BUSHING was born on 1 February 1930.⁵ He died on 29 May 1964 at the age of 34.⁵