Magdalene Elisabetha Lipke was born in Czattkau, Kreis Dirschau, West Prussia, in the German Empire (today, near Tczew, Poland) to parents Johann and Elisabetha (Kraft/Kreft) Lipke. Their native language was German. Called Lena by her family, she emigrated with them to the U.S. as a child, age 8 years, in late 1904 on the S.S. Chemnitz sailing from Bremen to New York City. Her family immediately settled in Syracuse, where her aunt and uncle, August and Tina (Ruschinski) Liepke had earlier settled. They all attended Assumption Catholic Church. Around 1909 Helen's family moved to their farm in North Syracuse (south of today's Taft Road, near Kreischer Road and Church Street). Being the oldest daughter, Helen was expected to work hard on the farm. She became a U.S. citizen on 22 April 1916 on her father's naturalization certificate.

Helen married, circa 1916-17, John H. Poehlman, who worked at Poehlman & Reichel's shoe store on Salina Street in Syracuse. They had two children and lived at 1044 Westcott where John Poehlman died in 1932. For a few years Helen supported her family by working at the Lincoln Store (a department store) on South Salina Street, after which she moved to California around 1936. She made her living working as a nurses' aide at Long Beach Veterans Hospital, in real estate, and as a housekeeper and nanny. She lived for over a decade in Lakewood (Orange Co.), California, then from 1969 to 1974 she lived in a mobile home in Sunland, California. After returning to Syracuse she suffered a stroke, and lived under the care of her daughter at 414 Broad Street. She was one of the first communicants of St. Therese Roman Catholic Church in Syracuse.

Her nieces called her "Aunt Betty," and her grandchildren knew her as "Mimi." She was remarkable for her good taste in clothes and home decorating, and for her amazing ability to knit, sew, crochet, and do fancy needlework. (At one point she worked sewing costumes for some of the dolls in the "It's a Small World" ride at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.) She was a tireless hard worker, indoors and out, and a green-thumb gardener. She also was renowned for her German recipes and good cooking.

Helen Poehlman died at a Syracuse area nursing home on 10 March 1983, survived by her two children, her brother Tony, her four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.