J. Helen Cleaves

Helen (Curley Faye) was born on July 30, 1937 to the late James Breedlove and Lovie McBride in the city of Cameron, Texas. She was the middle child of three daughters.

Helen graduated from IM Terrell High School in Fort Worth, Texas and attended business school in Biloxi, Mississippi and served with Eastern Star. Helen retired from Montgomery Ward in 1998 and went back to work years later at Walmart. She was a loving and dedicated mother, grandmother, and friend. She was a very generous and selfless person who always put her family first and still reached out to others in need. Her faith in God kept her strong and always moving forward.

Helen enjoyed being a Girl Scout leader, teaching cooking classes with the troop. Her hobbies included Ceramics, crocheting and other arts and crafts. She loved dancing and singing with her children, spending time with her grandchildren and attending most of their events, she loved traveling and meeting new people, she never met a stranger.

Helen is Preceded in death by her Parents Lovie Mcbride and James Breedlove, Two sisters, Olevia Hoyle, and Barbra Kay Major, two sons Vernon Menkins, and Charles Darnell Cleaves. Her beautiful life will be forever cherished by her five children Frieda Whitlock, Lawrence Menkins, Deloris Harper, Norma Cleaves, and Benita Cleaves; eleven Grandchildren: Demetrias Cleaves, Kenisha Cleaves, Adriel Cleaves, Jeremiah Harper, Stephanie Menkins, Tamar Whitlock, Elijah Austin, Jordan Harper, Brenden Collins, Jaylen Hogan, Jeyvion Hogan-Cleaves; nine great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.