Helene, age 83, passed away on Sunday at Greenway Manor in Spring Green, after a courageous battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Helene was born the daughter of Herman & Margaret (Blau) Ostermeyer. She married Kenneth C. Duren on Oct. 17, 1944. Ken preceded her in death in 1984. Helene was a wife, mother, homemaker, caregiver and artist. She was also a cancer survivor. In the years after her struggles with cancer, she became active in community causes. She was the co-chair of the first two Spring Green Arts and Crafts Fair(s) (1969 and 1970) helping to set a template for success for this enduring community event. She was very proud of how the fair flourished, and continues to do so, through the support of the Spring Green community over the years. She was instrumental in organizing the first St. John's Catholic Church Chicken Barbecue, another community event that continues to thrive. She, and her husband, Ken, were original shareholders in the corporation formed by area residents that bought, and revived, the Gard Theatre, where movies and live theater continue to be enjoyed by all. Helene and Ken were also active in fundraising for the Spring Green Pool Fund. Helene served on the St. John's Catholic Church Board, and unsuccessfully ran for the Spring Green Village Board as one of the first two women to stand for election. Helene was an oil painter, specializing in rural landscapes and florals. She collected landscape oil paintings, many of which were purchased at the Spring Green Arts and Crafts Fair. She also was an avid crafter, and many an afternoon was spent wandering in area river bottoms, meadows and marshes in search of bittersweet, pussywillow, pine cones and cattails for use in arrangements and displays. She also turned her hand to pottery and clay sculpting, and developed a deep appreciation of the techniques and beauty of fine handmade ceramics. In later years, she collected antique glassware, with a special love for American hobnail glassware. She was also a skilled card player, enjoying bridge, canasta, and family and neighborhood euchre games, especially in the holiday season. For the past two decades, Helene lived in Bradenton (and later, Placid Lakes) FL. She loved the beaches and estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico, and spent many happy years there with her special friend and partner, Joe Corkran, collecting shells, walking the beaches of Anna Maria Island, and watching birds and dolphins. She was master fisher for blue crabs, a skill which she shared with successive clutches of her grandchildren, to their (mutual) delight. She is survived by her five children, Bernard (Judy) Duren of Fredericksburg, VA, Toni (Shannon) Kennelly of Conyers, GA, Susan (Jon) Myhal of Conyers, GA, Ken (Susan) Duren of Madison, WI, and Shawn (Heidi) Duren of Spring Green, WI; 11 grandchildren, Matt (Tiffany) Duren, Kelly (Tony) Diaz-Rojas, Brian (Marcia) Kennelly, Laura (Tim) Algeo, Jon Ferguson, Holly Ferguson, Elena Duren, Ava Duren, Nathan Bolton, Nicole Bolton and Noah Bolton; and eight great-grandchildren, Justin, Colin, Mackenzie, Kaitlin, Carson, Peyton, Brooke and Carter. She is also survived by two sisters, Jeanette Lipscomb of Cummings, GA, and Shirley (Harvey) Reeves of Madison, WI; five brothers, Lee (Marge) Ostermeyer of Sarasota, FL, Bernard (LaNelle) Ostermeyer of Lady Lake, FL, Clarence Ostermeyer of Kenosha, Ronnie (Fannie) Ostermeyer of Bossier City, LA, and Jim (Jean) Ostermeyer of Schaumburg, IL; sister-in-law, Freda Ostermeyer of Middleton, WI; and many nieces, nephews and other relatives. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ken; her parents; her partner, Joe Corkran; her brother, Fred Ostermeyer; her beloved aunt, Clara Blau and beloved uncle, George Blau; and her grandson, Jeremy Ferguson. A Mass in Memory of Helene was held at St. John's Catholic Church in Spring Green. Father Mike Resop officiated with burial in the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make memorial donations to the Spring Green Arts and Crafts Fair scholarship fund or St. John's Catholic School. Helene loved the arts, and she believed in access to education. She would want you to remember her by helping your community. The family is sincerely appreciative for the love, care and patience provided to Helene by the staff of Upland Hills Home Care and Hospice and Greenway Manor in recent months.