Vernon Lloyd Helmke

Vernon Lloyd Helmke went home to his Lord and Savior on October 24, 2021 after 90 years. He was born in 1931 in San Antonio, Texas to parents Otto Richard Alvin Helmke and Linda Leesch Helmke. Vernon remembered being told that due to some problem with his blood that he received a blood transfusion from his father immediately after his birth. He said his parents gave him life and his father gave him a second chance for life.

Vernon displayed an affinity for his lifes work at a young age. He remembered building model houses out of matchsticks. When a house was being built in his neighborhood, he remembers climbing around to see the work underway. He also remembered being very intrigued with the house plans drawn by his great uncle Emil Leesch who helped his parents build their house on East Houston Street. During World War II he would draw plans from an airplane spotters book and build model planes out of orange crates.

Vernon was also proud of his German heritage from a young age. He remembers accompanying his parents to dances at Anhalt Hall which was founded by a group called the Farmers Verein and built on land which was originally owned by his great grandfather Louis Krause. At Poe Junior High he enjoyed building with wood in shop class and also enjoyed a drafting class. At Brackenridge High School Vernon joined ROTC, took up golf and was president of the Science Club.

After graduation, Vernon enrolled at San Antonio College and studied preengineering. SAC did not have an architecture program at the time, a situation he would remedy in later years. Vernon and his friend, Russell Hinote, became the golf team for SAC where he earned a letter jacket. His dream was to study Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin. His grandmother made it happen by selling her house to provide funds for him to attend UT. In his second year there Vernon was named Outstanding Architecture Student and was in the Honor Fraternity. The award was a book called "Never Leave Well Enough Alone" which became his guiding principle for the rest of his life. Vernon and his golfing buddy from SAC founded the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity chapter at UT, which he served as president. Vernon was also elected to the University Student Assembly.

While at UT he met his soulmate, Jaclyn Keasler. Jackie was an art major and, as a class project, was building a small keepsake box. The box was made of very hard walnut wood and she was having a hard time installing hinges for the lid. Jackie asked one of Vernons fellow architecture students for help installing the hinges. He kept putting her off and Vernon eventually volunteered to help. After they met, they spent some time arranging dates for each others friends but finally started dating each other. The box is a family memento to this day.

Vernon and Jackie were married in 1953 at St. Marks Episcopal Church in San Antonio, beginning a lifelong personal and professional relationship with the Episcopal Church. Vernon graduated UT with a Bachelor of Architecture in January 1955 and became a Registered Architect that summer. Having participated in ROTC in college as well, Vernon became a second lieutenant in the Air Force upon graduation, serving a two year commitment on active duty.

Vernon began an extremely busy period in his life where he served at Lackland Air Force Base and also began teaching a night class at San Antonio College. During this time he began his own architecture practice by designing the first two of many churches for the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas St. Michael and All Angels in Blanco and St. Lukes in Cypress Mill. His first child, Karen, was born in 1956 and St. Michaels was dedicated three days later.

The head of the Engineering Department at SAC invited him to teach there with the understanding that he would start an Architectural Program that would transfer to senior colleges such as the University of Texas or Texas A&M. During his first year teaching Engineering drawing, Vernon wrote a program and got it approved for transfer to both UT and A&M. The first class of Architecture students started at SAC in September 1958. In 2008 Vernon attended the 50th anniversary celebration of the program he founded.

Vernon left the Air Force Reserve in 1961 as a Captain. He continued working at several architectural firms, as well as continuing designing seventeen churches for the Episcopal diocese. His second child, Michael, was born in 1963 and was named after St. Michael and All Angels, the first church he designed. His third child, Stephen, was born in 1964 and was named after St. Stephens, another church he designed.

Vernon continued his involvement in the church, serving as a Vestryman, as well as Junior and Senior Warden. He also served on the Architectural Commission for the Diocese. In addition to churches, much of Vernons professional work involved schools and senior living centers.

In 1970, Vernon and two partners entered the then new self-storage industry. Over the next fourteen years they designed, built and operated seven self-storage facilities in San Antonio and South Texas, selling that chain in 1984.

Vernon established his own firm in 1971, Architects and Engineers Group, Inc. (later Architects Environmental Group). In 1978 he began a second chain of self-storage facilities, Alamo Mini-Storage. In 1986 Vernon was a charter member of the Texas Mini Storage Association, a trade association serving the self-storage industry. Vernon recently attended the 35th anniversary Texas Self Storage Association annual conference in San Antonio, amazed at how much a business he had been a part of since its earliest days, had grown.

Another of Vernons passions was boating and coastal fishing. He and Jackie owned a house at Port Aransas and had a boat there for many years, which he loved to take on fishing trips into the Gulf of Mexico. He became involved with the United States Sail and Power Squadron, rising through the leadership ranks until he became a District Commander. He and Jackie traveled all over the country, sharing their love of boating with other boat owners. Vernon was also awarded the honorary rank of Admiral of the Texas Navy.

Jackie introduced Vernon to genealogy, which he embraced with his usual unbridled enthusiasm, especially after he semi-retired. He never fully retired, as he never stopped thinking about business. They made many trips for family research, including trips to Germany and Scotland to seek out the roots of their various family lines. Vernon wrote and self-published several books detailing the lineage of their various families and donated many copies to area genealogical libraries.

Vernon was proud of his Texas heritage as a Life Member of the Sons of the Republic of Texas. He was also a Member Emeritus of the State Association of Texas Pioneers, which he served as President and was honored as Male Pioneer of the Year. When the Witte Museum took over the Memorial Hall Museum next door, the long-time home of the Texas Pioneers, the Old Trail Drivers and the Former Texas Rangers, Vernon arranged to have the Pioneers collection of artifacts transferred to two museums in Gonzales, Texas.

Vernon loved his family very much and always worked hard to provide for them. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Jackie, his parents and his son, Stephen Helmke. He is survived by his children, Karen Helmke Rogers (Steve) and Michael Helmke (Sue), and his grandchildren, Kimberly Rogers Thompson (Kevin), Meredith Rogers, Robert Rogers (Kaitlin), Michael Helmke, Emma Helmke, Holly Helmke, and Hannah Helmke.

The family extends their sincere gratitude for the outstanding care provided by Sonia Rodriguez and Elizabeth Avery over the last few years. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to Alamo Colleges Foundation, attn: Vernon Helmke Memorial Fund, 2222 N. Alamo St. 1819 N. Main Ave., San Antonio, TX 78215 or at https://giving.alamo.edu/memorial (select other and type Vernon Helmke Memorial).

LIFE CELEBRATION

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2021

1:30 PM

PORTER LORING MORTUARY

BURIAL TO FOLLOW

HERMANN SONS CEMETERY

Please click here to view the recording of Mr. Vernon Helmke's service.