Adolph Bernhard Heltne, son of Rev. Christian Heltne and wife Jennie Halverson Heltne, was born August 9, 1913 at Jerico, Iowa.

After completing eight years of elementary school he went to Spring Grove High School at Spring Grove, Minnesota, and graduated in 1932.

He attended Luther College at Decorah, Iowa, and graduated in 1936 with a B.A. Degree.

He taught at Bingham Lake High School at Bingham Lake, Minnesota. He became principal at the elementary school at Brownsdale, Minnesota.

After teaching for some years, he felt the call to become a pastor in the Lutheran Church and enrolled at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. He did his year of internship at Concordia, Kansas.

During his year at Concordia he was instrumental in organizing a congregation which is known as Concordia Lutheran Church. He also met the love of his life, Evelyn May Carlgren.

After his year at Concordia he returned to Luther Seminary graduating in May 1944.

On June 7th, 1944 he married Evelyn May Carlgren at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Norway, Kansas.

He was ordained to the ministry on June 18th, 1944 at Waterloo Ridge Lutheran Church near Spring Grove, Minnesota. After he was ordained, he and his wife Evelyn went to Bradley, South Dakota, where he began his ministry at the Bradley/Crocker Parish. They lived in Bradley for almost 11 years, and then accepted a call to the Goodridge Lutheran Parish at Goodridge, Minnesota. They lived there for 14 years. He served the community also as a member of the school board for many years. He accepted a call to be a pastor of the Storla-Trinity Parish at Storla, South Dakota.

After being in the ministry for almost 35 years and having attained the age of 65 years, he retired in September 1978 and moved to their home east of Norway, Kansas.

He enjoyed his work in the ministry. He loved the confirmation classes and wanted the confirmands to be devout Christians and know the Explanation of the Luther Catechism. He wanted them to be good church members and stressed regular Sunday church attendance, reading of the Scriptures, and prayer. Throughout the years he received Christmas and birthday cards from many of his confirmands. Some of them also came for a visit.

During his ministry he enjoyed visiting the sick and the aged and deemed it very important to bring the Lord's Supper to them.

He was blessed with good health and endurance which was necessary having a very busy schedule.  He would say often that, "I am richly blessed by having a good, faithful, loving wife and family."  He had many good friends in the parishes he served and in the Norway community.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Paul.

He is survived by his wife, Evelyn, son Carl and wife, Brenda, Barnes, Wisconsin; son Paul and wife, Trish, Scandia, Kansas; daughter Rebecca and husband, Jerry Janulewicz, Grand Island, Nebraska; and daughter llah and husband, Rodney Gilreath, Golden, Missouri. Also surviving him are eight grandchildren: Tiffany Zitzewtiz, Carisa Dobrinski, Briony Bresnahan, Kyle Heltne, Austin Heltne, Nathan Janulewicz, Sarah Rippe and Jenny Gilreath;  and six great-grandchildren: Tyler and Maija Zitzewitz, Isabella Dobrinski, Aubrey Bresnahan, Declan Heltne and Sawyer Rippe; niece Kathy and husband, Jack Swanson, Plymouth, Minnesota; two-great nieces and one-great nephew: Anna, Christina and Eric.

Father’s request was for memorials to be used in the service of the parishes he served in Bradley, Goodridge, and Storla; as well as Our Savior’s Lutheran Church of Norway, Kansas, and Concordia Lutheran Church of Concordia, Kansas.