A new era in the Schmitz family is nearly upon us.
Helen and the late LaVerne (Curly) Schmitz’s final grandson is a Senior this fall at MPHS. Logan Schmitz is a senior football player and on the Homecoming Court.
That makes Helen being named Homecoming Parade Marshal a little extra special.
Her eight children (Doug, Dan, Connie, Marcia, Mark, Scott, Mike, Todd) and all but two of her 12 grandchildren went to Mineral Point High School.
Although she feels it’s a little bittersweet with the last grandchild graduating in the spring, she is excited for the next era, acknowledging she has ten great grandchildren with one more on the way.
Helen is likely most famous for her attendance at countless wrestling matches over the years, but she has been an avid Pointer Nation supporter of all activities.
Although not a graduate herself of Mineral Point High School, her heart has always been here, even when redistricting forced her to attend Hollandale High School after her freshman year at MPHS.
She has fond memories of her lone Pointer Homecoming as a student, reminiscing about the snake dance and movie at the theatre following the pep rally. Homecoming at Hollandale was much more “low key” she says than at Mineral Point.
When looking through the 1949 Pointer yearbook, Helen (Palzkill) Schmitz makes appearances in several clubs and organizations, including being an officer as a freshman in the Future Homemakers of America.
Fitting she was in the public speaking group of Forensics because the yearbook said it would be something if Helen could “manage to be silent for five minutes.”
It’s obvious Helen stayed in contact with her former MPHS classmates while attending Hollandale because LaVerne and her ended up marrying. Helen also fondly recalls still coming back to MPHS while a student at Hollandale to play her French Horn in the band.
Helen thanks the sport of wrestling for many memories, acknowledging she and her husband wouldn’t have gone the places they did if it wasn’t for wrestling. Her six sons who wrestled for MPHS compiled combined records of 509-85-5, including four state championships, one runner up finish, two 3rd place finishes, two 4th place finishes, and one 6th place finish. Their two daughters were involved in the MPHS program as well as cheerleaders, and son Scott has been coaching for decades. Helen and LaVerne were inducted into the Al Bauman Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1998.
When asked to serve as Parade Marshal, she was hesitant because she felt “there were too many others more deserving.” She said it should be Curly receiving this award and not her, but said it is a real “privilege and honor” to be Parade Marshal.
Enjoy, Helen! Thank you for all your years of Pointer Pride!