Emma Mae Helmuth

Emma Mae (Nisly) Helmuth, age 95, was born July 17, 1929, near Hutchinson, Kansas, and was welcomed home to heaven on January 25, 2025. Her Celebration of Life service will be held Friday, January 31, at 1:30 pm at Crossroads Community Church in Pine Bluffs, Wyoming. 

Emma was the second oldest of eight children. Her early years were spent attending Elreka School, helping her parents with farm work and taking care of younger siblings, and doing domestic work for others. She also cooked for a year at Elreka School. Emma was a trailblazer, becoming the first girl in her family to attend college. She enrolled in Hesston College where she took Bible classes and completed nurses training, graduating in 1952.

Emma worked at Grace Hospital in Hutchinson, both on the floors and in the ER. Here she gained experience that would help her in the future. In 1957 she left the safety and comfort of her family and community and headed to Red Lake, Ontario, Canada, to work with a mission organization. This is where her love for “the north” developed. She served at the Poplar Hill and Grassy Narrows outposts as a nurse and was often called upon to travel by canoe or snowshoes to more remote villages, carrying her medicine bag with her wherever she went. It was during this time that she met Omar Helmuth, who was serving at a different mission outpost. 

Emma and Omar were married on May 28, 1960, and were sent to a small community at McDowell Lake to teach the Bible to local Christians. In addition to building a house, chapel, and furniture Omar and Emma taught and lived God’s Word and touched many lives in the northwest region of Ontario, Canada. 

After several years, Omar and Emma felt that their time in Canada was served and looked for a new ministry. In 1963 they moved to the Balsam area of Minnesota to help with a church that had been planted as a result of the summer Bible school classes that Omar had earlier helped teach. This area of Minnesota became their home for the next 43 years, where they pastored a church, ministered to people in their community, and raised their family.

Emma kept books for Rantala Dairy for several years but spent most of her time as a ministry team with her husband, working tirelessly to share the love of Jesus with those around them through church services, summer Bible schools, release-time KYB (Know Your Bible) classes at the local public school, visiting the sick and elderly, teaching women’s Bible studies for many years, hosting countless people in their home, and helping friends and neighbors.

After retiring, Omar and Emma left their beloved “north” in 2006 and moved to Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, to be closer to family. However, they continued to impact lives by showing love, graciousness, and kindness to their new friends and neighbors. Even in her later years, Emma enjoyed sharing her homemade rolls, teaching cooking classes, and mentoring young women at the Chrysalis House Rehabilitation Center. She lived out Mother Teresa’s words: “Don’t look for big things, just do small things with great love.”

Emma had an amazing ability to connect with all kinds of people – loving and encouraging them no matter who they were. She was a mentor to many women and girls, teaching them through her words and example. Her smile and sweet spirit enveloped and spread light to those around her. Even while she was in assisted living during the past year, countless staff members and fellow residents commented how much they loved and enjoyed spending time with Emma.

Emma is survived by her daughters Wanda (Curt) Theobald of Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, Cary (Will) Johnson of Spring, Texas, and Sharon (Loren) Johnson of Dickinson, North Dakota; grandchildren Keziah (Peter) Conrad, Ahava (Steven) Baca, Yakira Johnson, Tirzah Johnson, Madison Johnson, Colten (Makenzie) Johnson, Kadin Johnson, Merina Theobald, Karlyn Theobald; great-granddaughter Adrielle Conrad; sisters Elizabeth Hochstetler and Mary Miller; brothers Glenn (Fannie) Nisly and Alvin (Sharon) Nisly, and sisters-in-law Beatrice Nisly and Esther Nisly.

 Emma was preceded in death by her husband Omar, her parents Eli and Katie Nisly, three brothers (Lloyd, Paul and Earl), and one granddaughter.

Both Emma and Omar have left an incredible legacy to their family and friends. Their deep love for God and people has impacted many lives for eternity.