At age 22 Alvin returned ‘home’ to Evansville after the war where he joined his brother, Elmer, in the farm implement business.As the community changed (and it always has and it always will) the business evolved into an auto dealership that continued until 2008.
Alvin loved doing
business of all sorts in the community. If there was something that he needed
or wanted, he became the local dealer for it! He loved living in Evansville
where he and his wife, Dorothy raised four children. Alvin
passed away in 1996.
Dorothy is still very
much devoted to Evansville. Daughter Nancy says “My mom is Evansville's
#1 volunteer. In fact, she has a quote in her home that says, ‘Stop me before I
volunteer again!’" As a young wife and mother, she volunteered for
brownies, girl scouts, cub scouts, school
homeroom mother, church, Sunday school, and would help whoever was in need.
Today, she is 83 years young, exercises at the health club, serves the
"senior" meals at the SeniorCenter,
quilts with the church ladies, plays bridge, and is a member of several groups
and clubs in Evansville. She thinks
Evansville is a
great place to live and is one of Evansville's
most vocal ambassadors.
The family decided to honor the
Helgesen family’s lifelong relationship with Evansville
by providing a fund that would give back to the community For good. For ever.
In November of 2008 the family of
Alvin Helgesen decided to honor the closing of the auto dealership, one of Evansville’s
longest continuously operating business (over 62 years) by establishing the
Dorothy and Alvin Helgesen Family Fund, of the Evansville Fund.
