Helma Brenner

Brenner, Helma (nee Miller) passed into eternal life on August 13, 2024 at age 85. She was a caring wife of the late Ernst for 57 years, beloved mother of Edith (David) Siegler and Viktor (Cheryl) Brenner, and a loving Oma for four grandchildren-Timothy Siegler, Erik (Kailee Pilotti) Siegler, Alex Brenner, and Emily Brenner. She was a devoted daughter to the late Michael and Rosalie Miller (nee Mohl), and a loving sister to the late Hubert Miller. She also leaves numerous loving friends and relatives across the world.
Helma Miller was born in Betschkerek, Yugoslavia (today: Zrenjanin, Serbia) in 1939. After being driven from her home, she and her family moved to Innsbruck, Austria, and Helma resided in the nearby towns for several years, attending Maria Hilf grade school in Innsbruck. She and her family moved to the United States in search of a better life for themselves and their children in 1951, beginning their American dream on a farm in Dickinson, North Dakota before moving to Milwaukee, WI in 1952, where she would live for the rest of her life.

She attended from Holy Angels high school, and remained an active and vibrant part of the Austrian and Donauschwaben communities of Milwaukee throughout her life. It is through her engagement with this community that she met Ernst Brenner, to whom she was married from 1959 through his death in 2016. Helma graduated from Spencerian Business College and had a long, successful career as a banker.

Once married, she settled in Brown Deer and became a caring mother for her two children. Her lifelong passion was playing music, and you could often find her practicing accordion, or playing organ at Sunday masses at St Catherine of Alexandria, Wellington Park Lutheran, Old St. Mary’s, and other churches throughout the greater Milwaukee region. In addition to being a passionate musician, she was an avid knitter, a lifelong gardener, and a diligent reader of the Sunday funnies section of the newspaper. All this could not compare, however, to the love and care that she would show to her beloved grandchildren, to whom she worked tirelessly to pass on her love, her culture, and her values.

Visitation will be at Old Saint Mary’s Catholic Church, 844 North Broadway Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Monday, August 19, 2024 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 4:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to Cancer Care, an organization that helped pay for Helma’s breast cancer medication in a time of great need.

Throughout her life, Helma remained steadfastly dedicated in her devotion and generosity to others, and continually strove to create a better life for her children and grandchildren. Her sacrifices and efforts will never be forgotten by all of us. We love you, Oma, and we will never forget you.