Helen Wise Mayo, 90, went home to be with the Lord, Saturday, October 29, 2016, at her residence surrounded by her loved ones.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held 11 A.M., Monday, October 31, 2016 The Paulk Funeral Home Chapel in Fitzgerald with the Rev. Jeff Parmer officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service on Monday. Interment will follow in Salem Baptist Church Cemetery in Ben Hill County.
Mrs. Mayo was born May 14, 1926 to the late Clyde Meadows Lairscey in Okeechobee, FL and while still an infant moved to Benevolence, GA in Randolph County. Clyde Meadows Lairscey passed away in 1931 and Helen stayed with her Grandfather, Thomas Franklin Meadows. After his passing, she went to live with her Mother’s sister and her family in Plains, GA. She graduated from Plains High School with a perfect attendance record.
After High School she was a bookkeeper with H S Kress Company in Americus, GA before moving to Fitzgerald with her husband in the 1940’s. She was a master seamstress and worked for Fitzgerald Underwear, Custom Sportswear, the Monarch Company and SWS. She also was owner/operator of Helen’s Mercantile Candy Company. During the 1970’s, she was a Top Selling Avon Representative earning numerous awards and prizes.
She dedicated her life to living for the Lord and helping others. She enjoyed teaching Sunday School and absolutely loved helping with Vacation Bible School. She held backyard Bible studies. She had a passion for nursing home patients and volunteered countless hours at Fitzgerald Nursing Home and the Life Care Center. She was a faithful prayer warrior and kept lists of people who needed prayer on her refrigerator. She was the rock of her family and taught them to obey God’s commandments and trust Him in all things. She was an Ordained Minister through the Pentecostal Evangelistic Association, Hazelhurst GA, Prentiss Herndon, Pastor and a regular attender of Crossview Baptist Church and a member of the Golden Believers.
She is survived by her children: Thomas Mayo, Mildred Mayo Pigg and Loretta Mayo Hodges all of Fitzgerald; grandchildren and their families: Tony Mayo, Kim Gomez, Lendy Hayslip, Brian Mayo, Christy Perry, Heather Pigg, Crystal Mayo & Bo Mayo; four great grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren. Special Cousins, J.M. Wise, Tulula Crosby and Lottie Tanner and many second cousins also survive. She will also be missed by her beloved shih tzu, Cricket.
In addition to her mother and grandfather she was preceded in death by her Aunt and Uncle, Ty Phillip and Lottie Wise; two special cousins: Luther Wise and Ann Gilbreth; a great grandchild, Briana Angel Mayo; and her husbands: Rev. E. L. Mayo and Rev. Tillman Bennett.