Mary Frieda Helmstetter, 82, passed away peacefully at her home in Bridgewater on August 7, 2020, surrounded by her family. Frieda is survived by her loving husband of 59 years, Gerald Helmstetter, their three sons Chris, Eric, and Fred Helmstetter, daughters-in-law Anne, Cindy, and Heather Helmstetter, their five grandchildren Craig, Kristen, Kyle, Emmet and Gavin Helmstetter, and her sister Hilda Esposito. She is preceded in death by her brother Albert Heiss. Frieda was born on March 6, 1938 in Paterson, NJ to John Heiss and Mary Hanzl. She graduated from St. Peter's High School in New Brunswick, NJ in 1956 and went on to earn Bachelor's Degrees in both Elementary Education and Fine Arts from The College of St. Elizabeth in Morristown, New Jersey. Frieda worked as a teacher in the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District, teaching third, fourth and fifth grades and art across a 34-year career at the Green Knoll, John F. Kennedy, and Eisenhower schools. Throughout her career and into her retirement, she taught painting, sewing, and other arts year-round to both children and adults in her Strokes and Stitches home studio and at numerous other seminars. Among her fondest moments of teaching though were the many summers and spring breaks that she ran "Grandma Camp" for her beloved grandchildren. Sharing her passions with another generation gave her great joy. In her spare time, Frieda was an avid painter, sewer, and quilter. She was an active member of the Society of Decorative Painters, Brushing Violets Chapter, where she was a past seminar chairperson, the New Jersey Goldfinch Chapter of Decorative Painters, and the Hunterdon County Quilting Guild. Frieda was a long-time parishioner at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Bridgewater, where she served as a Lector, Eucharistic Minister, and taught CCD for 41 years. The visitation will be held at Branchburg Funeral Home on Friday August 14, from 4:00 – 7:00. A Mass of Christian Burial for Frieda will be held at Holy Trinity on Saturday August 15 at 10am, followed by a funeral service at St. Bernard Cemetery in Bridgewater. The family welcomes flowers; however, donations in Frieda's memory may also be made to the Hunterdon County Quilting Guild (hcquiltingguild.wixsite.com).