My Mary Etta

I will be getting back to writing stories about my mother on this site soon. If you are looking for information on the memorial golf tournament. That information will now exist here www.mymaryettagolf.com.

The inaugural Mary Etta Helms Memorial Golf Tournament was a huge success with great prizes, sponsorship and beautiful weather. We extend our gratitude for the support of our prize donors, volunteers, sponsors, golfers and Cheraw State Park. We hope to see everyone again next year!

Please take a look at the photos from the Event and the event winners

Hello everyone It has been a while since I’ve gotten to write anything on the site. Not because I havent wanted to its just because I been very busy lately. I still have a long list of memories and stories about mom to share and it grows longer every day.

But I did want to say is that dad and I have gotten the golf brochure made up. I have attached it in case you guys or someone you know might be interested in swinging a golf club for a good cause.

Download The Mary Etta Helms Memorial Golf Tournament brochure here

Jennifer:

It’s saturday night and we just finished eating out for amanda’s birthday/going away.  it was so nice to have so many of us together like that. sometimes when johnny and angela are around i expect to hear that familiar laugh and you know what………i do.  when johnny gets tickled he sounds like mary etta’s unique laugh. (although her laughter usually came many moments after everyone else was finished)  i also wonder if the younger kids in our family even knew that and other trivial things about her.  lets face it, she could not get jokes, had a hard time delivering a punch line, do they remember foods she really liked like chocolate, foods she didnt like tea and onions, i wonder if they will remember her sense of style, the occasional pecan pie she cooked to  bring to mamas.  i wonder if they will have someone they can call on when they hurt or need someone to talk to about private things.  i guess we all need to make ourselves available to try to do and say the things she would have so she will live on in their hearts.

While I was growing up mom always brought me the cool trinkets that Pharmaceutical companies would bring in to sale their brand of drugs. i sort of felt like a tiny james bond and mom was my Q supplying me with all the new gadgets. Pens with pull out scrolls, pens with flash lights, pens with multiple colors, Pens with staplers on them, octagon shaped coin purses they were all there in my arsenal. The thing is that mom never stopped giving me these things. I have somethings at my office now that she gave me.

My memories are full of mom picking me up wearing the all white uniform complete with little white shoes. When there wasn’t a trinket I could always dig in her pocket and find a red lollipop out of the jar at Dr. Godwin’s office.

Debra:

Johnny, I just wanted let you know that I have been thinking about you all week and I wanted to share this poem with you. I read it every night and I think it sums up all of our feelings.

“We little knew that day,

God was going to call your name.

In life we loved you dearly,

In death, we do the same.

It broke our hearts to lose you.

You did not go alone.

For part of us went with you,

The day God called you home…

You left us beautiful memories,

Your love is still our guide,

And although we cannot see you,

You are always at our side.

Our family chain is broken,

And nothing seems the same,

But as God calls us one by one,

The chain will link again.”

Mary Etta was a GREAT mother, but you already know that Johnny. She was a blessing to our family in so many ways.

Debra:

Easter…our first holiday without Mary Etta. It is almost unbearable to think about. It was so weird having to buy prizes for the kids this year because that was always her job. Our prizes are, of course, not as good as the ones she would buy. Last year we rode together to sunrise service…it is going to be strange without her there. I can remember last year, it was raining, and we sat in the truck together and talked while Amanda and Jackie went in and got us donuts and danishes. This year, we’ll have our Easter cookout and egg hunt as usual and I’m sure we’ll all think about Mary Etta as the day goes by. We all know that she’ll be looking down on each of us and that she’ll be laughing at MaMa out there hunting eggs with all the grandchildren. Happy Easter to a special sister who we all miss very much!

ladies

Originally uploaded by athelm.

Jennifer Wanted me to post this.

{Sent To Me By Jennifer Burnett}

As we wear our green ribbons and give our money for relay for life, lets remember that mary etta would have participated in this even before she got sick.  I think we dig a little deeper into our pockets because we are supporting a cause that has become close to us , even though it was unwelcomed.  We all know that if she would have been approached 5 years ago to walk around a candle lit track to support relay for life she would have been so into that.  Can you just hear her say “oh, that’s so good, let’s do it.”  she would rather be the one rallying for the cause instead of being the inspiration, as she was last year.

My point is that we have such a strong role model in mary etta when we remember how fun, smart, outgoing, hard working and kind she was for her entire life.  She would rather have us forget the pain she suffered in the end and cling to all the happy times, lord knows those memories keep popping up out of the blue. I know she would want us to support this relay for life and what it raises money and awareness for not because of what she suffered from, but so that others won’t have to.

IMG_0727

Originally uploaded by athelm.

{Sent To Me By Amanda Turner}
I was eating at Moe’s yesterday and as I was eating my burrito, I started smiling because I thought about my Aunt Uh. She always said that she was going to open a burrito place in Hartsville. She thought it was an awesome idea because college kids obviously love burritos. We would laugh at her about the idea, but she was completely serious. I don’t recall if she ever said what she would name her burrito place, but I do know that we all agreed that the slogan should be “It’s Uh Uh Good!”

She was always coming up with stuff like this, thats who she was and what she did. Anytime I had a project or something I would ask her what I should do because she was so creative, cool, and always able to make someone smile…which she is still able to do through the wonderful memories that she left each of us!