Mary Helen Willeford

Mary Helen Willeford, age 97, a long-time resident of West Jefferson, Ohio, passed away peacefully at her home on Saturday, August 13, 2022. She was born in Buffalo Valley, Tennessee on September 5, 1924. As a child she survived a house fire, a flood which caused their home to float down river while they ran up the mountain to grandma’s house, and managed to graduate valedictorian of her 8 th grade class. At the age of 17 she met and married Charles Willeford and during WWII while Charles was serving overseas in the Army Aircorp she worked at the plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee where the atomic bomb was built. The family moved to Ohio in the early 1950’s for job opportunities. Helen was a homemaker taking care of her six children and a pastor’s wife. She loved all her grandchildren and was always available to babysit and spend time with them. She was known for her delicious pies and world’s best fried chicken. Helen was a member of First Baptist Church in West Jefferson, Ohio.

She was preceded in death by her parents Mary Elizabeth and James Buchanan Moss, husband of 63 years Rev. Charles G. Willeford, sisters and brothers-in-law Reba and James Fuqua and Delia and Beecher Bilbrey, brothers J. B. Moss and John Leftwich, and daughter Donna Jo Willeford Intrieri.

She is survived by one sister Linda (Charles) Hughes (Chattanooga, Tennessee), sister-in-law Dorothy Leftwich (Cookeville, Tennessee), three daughters Mary Carolyn Conley (West Jefferson, Ohio), Sandra Adams (White House, Tennessee), and Brenda (John) Jester (West Jefferson, Ohio), two sons Charles Lynn Willeford (Florissant, Missouri) and Kevin Willeford (Asheville, North Carolina), 13 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren, 16 great great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Family will welcome friends from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2022, at the RADER-MCDONALD-TIDD FUNERAL HOME, 1355 West Main Street, West Jefferson, Ohio 43162.

Funeral will be held FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022, at 12:00 Noon (visitation from 11:00 a.m. to Noon) at First Baptist Church, 686 West Jefferson-Kiousville Road SE, West Jefferson, Ohio, with Pastor Darrel Schick officiating. Burial will follow at Hampton Cemetery, West Jefferson, Ohio.