A beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend, Mary (Moore) Helmick died peacefully on October 31, 2021, a few weeks after she celebrated her 98th birthday among friends and family. Mary was born on October 17, 1923, the youngest of 11 children, in Simpson, WV, where she had happy memories of playing basketball at Flemington High School and spending time with life-long friends. As a young adult, she was recruited by the U.S. Government to be one of the first employees of the Social Security Administration, where she became a trainer for other new recruits. Mary also served her country during World War II, working in a Baltimore, MD, airplane factory. In 1945, she married William Bailey Sr. and joined his family of 4 children (Donald, Jean, Douglas, and Wanda), and in 1946, she became the mother of William Bailey Jr. In 1978, she married Walter C. Helmick. Mary loved her West Virginia community and Union Baptist church, supporting the parish and food pantry through bible studies and food drives. In her later years, Mary enjoyed being a grandmother to 14 and great grandmother to numerous children. She also was counted as a beloved family member among her friends in both West Virginia and Maryland. She is predeceased by her parents, siblings, husbands, and children. In her memory, donations can be made to The Sharing Place, Union Baptist Church, P.O. Box 257, Simpson, WV 26435 (Contact: Chris Moore @ 304-626-0050 for donations).
Graveside Funeral Service will be held, Saturday, November 6, 2021, at 2:00 PM at Simpson Cemetery, 2597 Simpson Road, Flemington, West Virginia 26347.
Arrangements made by: Burrier-Queen Funeral Home & Crematory, PA., www.burrier-queen.com and the Donald G. Ford Funeral Home, Grafton, WV www.donaldgfordfuneralhome.com