Helen Brooks Ledford

Helen Brooks Ledford, 93, died June 26, 2020, at her home in Elizabethton.

She lived a full life, faithfully and sacrificially putting first the interests of her five children.

Helen was born December 30, 1926 to Reese and Ruby Brooks. She was named for her maternal grandmother, Lou Helen Kidwell Curtis, who profoundly influenced her life, her faith in Christ, and her values.

Her father died when Helen was three. Her mother later married Terry Williams and throughout her life Helen referred to him fondly as “Daddy Terry.”

Helen was a graduate of Elizabethton High School and attended East Tennessee State College.

She began her working life as a secretary in the executive offices of the local rayon plants. Later she worked at Summers Hardware and then as a bookkeeper, sales clerk and manager at Barnes-Boring Hardware.

She was plain spoken and it was often said of her that you never had to wonder what she was thinking.

Helen loved gardening and working outside, working crossword puzzles and reading, especially cookbooks. She was a marvel in the kitchen. She loved to cook their favorite meals for her children on their birthdays.

If you dropped in unexpectedly, you might find Helen reading one of the Proverbs or her all-time favorite passage, Psalm 103. As her eyesight dimmed, when someone read that Psalm to her she would mouth the words, especially the phrase “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.”

Helen grew up in Range Community of Carter County. She was a long-time member of Fairview Baptist Church. Later she was a member at Lynn Valley Baptist Church and was a member of Grace Baptist Church at the time of her passing.

She served her churches in many roles, including clerk, librarian and Sunday School teacher. She enjoyed making home visits and when her health limited her ability to do that she turned to sending cards to fellow church members.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her former husband, Jack Vernon Ledford, sister Betty Freas, and brother William T. Williams.

Her survivors include her five children, Joe (Linda), Suzanne Harris (Bob), Jack and Glen, all of Elizabethton, and Nita (Greg Roth) of Santa Rosa, Calif., and her caring cousins, April Cilk and James Curt Roberts.

The family is grateful to Crystal, Phyllis, Sue and Marissa from Hillview Home Health and to Amedisys Hospice workers for helping to care for our mom.

A celebration of the life of Helen Brooks Ledford will be held Monday, June 29, at Grace Baptist Church, Broad Street, Elizabethton, with Rev. Travis Tyler officiating. Friends may visit with the family from 6 to 7 p.m. and a service will follow. For everyone’s safety, friends are asked to maintain a safe distance and follow COVID-19 guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee. The family will have a private burial service at a later time.

Memorial Funeral Chapel is serving the Ledford family.