Obituary of Helen Suggs

Helen Ruth Mauldin Jeffries Suggs was born July 13, 1929 in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, the daughter of Vernon Yates and Lillian Thursday (Stewart) Mauldin. She was the oldest of five children growing up in southern Oklahoma, with sister Maureen and brothers Ralph, Wesley and Vernon. She retired from Oral Roberts University where she worked for nearly twenty years in various capacities, including office administrator for Campus Publications and special assistant to the deans of the Graduate School of Business, the School of Nursing and the Undergraduate Academic Affairs office. She also served as the clinic administrator for one of Oklahoma¹s largest medical practices and was a national sales leader for Sarah Coventry and Judy Lee Jewelers. She was an active member of Living Oaks Baptist Church and a visiting member at First Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Kenneth Dee Jeffries and Alba Karl Suggs, Sr. She is survived by her daughters: Suzi Mix and her husband Butch of Tulsa, Debbie Jeffries of Plano, Texas, Lori Jeffries of Bristow, Oklahoma and Kathy Murdock and her husband J.P. of Magnolia, Texas; and her sons: Karl Suggs, Jr. and his wife Linda of Broken Arrow, Kenny Jeffries of Siloam Springs, Arkansas, Dale Jeffries and his wife Dottie of Gloucester, Massachusetts, and Mike Jeffries of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She is also survived by her brother Vernon Mauldin and his wife Madeline of Glenpool, Oklahoma, sister-in-law Peggy Bevelot of Kansas City, Missouri, mother-in-law Mae Jeffries, and numerous nephews and nieces. She lived with her daughter Suzi and her husband, Butch for her final years. Her nephew, Bill Van Winkle, Jr., also lived with them and helped care for her during part of this time. Although she always said she loved all her children the same, each one was her favorite. She was especially proud of thirteen grandchildren (Melody, Keith, Lisa, Jon, Christopher, Brandon, Benjamin, Jamie, Abraham, Elizabeth, Jimmy, Katie and Jacob). She also rejoiced in eleven great grandchildren. During her final years, she was quite a world traveller, participating in mission experiences to Israel twice, Russia four times, Italy, Nicaragua and other venues.