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Today's Featured Biography

Larry Helvik

Profile Larry Helvik:

Grades 1-12 education at Wibaux Public Schools followed by BA degree Concordia College (Moorhead, MN) with a Biology major & Chemistry minor in 1971. It was there where I learned what a GPA was and that a higher number was a good thing.

I worked the summers and after college graduation with Burlington Northern Railway as I had a low lottery number during the Vietnam Conflict and was first on the list to be drafted next. Later the numbers were lowered as the war scaled down and I was not drafted.

Renewed my education by obtaining a teaching certificate from the University of MT in Missoula after finding out everybody wanted to be a wildlife biologist. I accepted my first teaching job in Florence, MT and did so for two years (1974-1975). Joe Kojancik, Supt. of Wibaux Schools sent me a contract to teach in Wibaux (no interview or contact, just a contract in the mail with a sticky note saying if interested please return in 10 days). The wife (Peggy Kippley, Beach) and I had discussed returning closer to Wibaux or her home town of Beach, so the move was made.

I spent 27 years in the Wibaux Public School System as 9-12 science
and after obtaining a Master's Degree in School Administration in 1986 from MT State University in 1986 I became a 7-12 principal/AD and later I became the Superintendent/7-12 Principal until 2002. Many classmates may recall that I was not necessarily a model student in high school and how someone like me ended up with education as a profession, at least I do.

In 2002 I became the Superintendent in Beach, ND where I remained in that position for 14 years and retired June 30, 2016. Double dipping was a good thing as I was able to draw MT Teacher's retirement as well. Total of 43 years in education, who would have thought.

My wife has been married for 46 years to the same man and I find it ironic that my anniversary falls on the same date and I have been married for the same number of years.

We have 4 children: Tanya & Melissa are nurses in Billings, Justin is a 7-12 principal in Three Forks MT (just got married in June of this year) and Josh lives in Wibaux and works for Burlington Northern out of Dickinson.

We have been blessed with 9 grandchildren which has become our #1 priority (4 live in Billings & 5 in Wibaux which include 2 sets of twins).

Now that I am officially retired I am thinking of what I should do once I grow up. Could and will include some of the following: Grandchildren and their activities, golf, fishing, travel, yard work with gardening, watching and attending sport events and work on improving my BS.

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