Helen Irene Butters

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

Helen Irene Harper Isaacs Butters died August 15, 2016 at age 88 after a brief time of declining health. Helen was born on May 14, 1928 in Clemmons, the tenth of eleven children born to Andrew Blaine Harper Sr. and Mary Elizabeth Harper Harper.

Helen means ""shining light, the bright one,"" and Irene means ""peace,"" and Helen exemplified both qualities of those names to her family and friends and to all of those to whom she so graciously showed hospitality, good humor and grace.

Helen grew up in Clemmons, attended Lewisville School and graduated from R. J. Reynolds High School in 1944, the first class to finish the newly added twelfth grade. Helen skipped eleventh grade and graduated at age 16 with that first twelfth grade senior class.

Helen's attention to detail and organization were qualities she shared in administrative work for government agencies, in the ministry of the church and in more than a dozen years of volunteer work at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and with the ALS Association.

Helen married T. A. Isaacs June 25, 1948 in Winston-Salem and joined him in ministry in the Church of Christ. After college at Florida Christian and in Texas, they served churches in Tampa, Florida; Abilene, Texas; Sweetwater, Texas; Clemmons, NC; Columbia, SC; Charlotte, NC; New Orleans, Louisiana; Hialeah, Florida; Decatur, Georgia; Bossier City, Louisiana; Monroe, Louisiana and Kernersville, NC. T. A. died February 17, 1996, and Helen remained in Winston-Salem, an active member of Linville Forest Church of Christ in Kernersville for more than 20 years.

While in college in Florida in the 1950s, T. A. and Helen met Steve and Mona Butters and remained friends even as both couples moved from place to place across the country. After Mona's death, Helen and Steve Butters began a correspondence. Steve thought the letters Helen wrote to him were eloquent and beautiful, and he was drawn to Winston-Salem to visit her. When at 84, Helen shared the news of her planned marriage to Steve with her family, her smile filled her whole face. Steve and Helen married August 16, 2013 to applause and well wishes from family and friends, and they made their home both in Rancho Cucamonga, California and in Winston-Salem where they had returned in late June.

Helen's eloquence, elegance, humility and her contagious laughter have left an impression all over the country with family, friends and those she met in all the places she lived and worked. Her laughter was melodic and raised the spirits of those she encouraged. She worked to organize, gather and distribute clothing and supplies in the aftermath of hurricanes in New Orleans and opened her home to others, especially at Thanksgiving, especially inviting widows and recently bereaved to join her family. ""I don't need an audience,"" Helen said more than once. She worked in the background, quietly doing what needed to be done with grace and humility.

Helen was elegant in appearance, always well dressed and perfectly accessorized. She was the ""china cup queen"" to her friends, always preferring the thin cup and saucer to a mug when having coffee, and friends left a china cup by the coffee pot for her even if others used styrofoam cups. Helen was faithful in prayer, superhuman in emotional and spiritual strength, putting the needs of others foremost in her prayers, always concerned about others even when she had her own griefs and challenges.

Helen was preceded in death by her parents-Helen's mother died when Helen was three years old-and ten siblings: Ethel Harper Brewer, Lieuteene Marion ""Bud"" Harper, Paul William Harper, John Blaine Harper, Virginia Harper Tesh, Andrew Blaine Harper Jr., Grace Harper Grose, and siblings Herbert Blaine Harper, Mary Leota Harper and Faye Marie Harper, who died as infants, and her first husband, T. A. Isaacs.

Helen is survived by her husband Stephen Butters, son Tim Isaacs and wife Pam Tyer; daughter Tammi McKinnon and husband Jeff; granddaughter Laurel McKinnon Barnes and husband Jeremy; grandson Drew McKinnon and wife Melissa; great grandchildren, JP McKinnon, Lainey Hannon, Leah McKinnon and Grant McKinnon; stepson Mark Butters and wife Dana; stepdaughter Cheryll Vosburgh and husband Ted; stepson Shawn Butters and wife Karen, nine step grandchildren and five step great grandchildren. She is also survived by two sisters in law, Peggy Essick (Hal) and Ruth Gray Braden, many nieces and nephews and many special friends including the twelve who traveled, shared church activities and Red Hat adventures together. These twelve friends served as honorary attendants at Helen and Steve's wedding three years ago: Brenda Blackburn, Sue Bostic, Joanna Darnell, Becky Detter (recently deceased), Joyce Goodman, Cleta Martin, Carolyn Pope, Letha Ward, Ella Mae Weatherman, Pat Wood, Lucy Wrenn and Helen Wynn.

Visitation is planned for 6-8 p.m. on Friday, August 19 at Hayworth Miller on Silas Creek Parkway, and the funeral service will be 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 20 at Linville Forest Church of Christ in Kernersville with graveside service and interment immediately following at Warner's Chapel Church of Christ in Clemmons. Dennis Connor and Kelly Brown will officiate at the funeral. Pallbearers are nephews Bill Grose, Ken Harper, Tom Harper, Steve ""Bud"" Harper, Joe Rajacich and Bob Tesh.

Memorials may be made to Children's Homes Inc., 5515 Walcott Rd., Paragould, AR 72450, to the T. A. Isaacs Memorial Endowment Fund â„... Harding University, Advancement Office, Box 12238, Searcy, AR 72149-5615 or to a charity of the donor's choice.

""Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul-and sings the tunes without the words-and never stops at all,"" Emily Dickinson wrote. The melody of hope and love that Helen offered us will continue to surround us.

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