Helen Joyce (Woodley) Harrison

Helen Joyce Woodley Harrison, age 95, a lifelong resident of Cottle County, TX, passed away peacefully into the loving arms of Jesus on October 22, 2023, at Stonewall Living Center, Aspermont, TX.

Helen was born on August 21, 1928, in her family home at Buck Creek, to Alton Parker and Helen Ashcraft Woodley. She thoroughly enjoyed living in the country at Buck Creek and on the land that has been in her family for almost 130 years. Helen graduated from Paducah High School in 1945. She attended Texas State College for Women (Texas Woman’s University) and graduated from West Texas State University (West Texas A&M University). In 1948, Helen married Homer Clyde Harrison, the love of her life from neighboring King County, in Paducah, TX. They were proud parents of son Bradley Alton and daughter Sally Jayne. Helen and Clyde were married for 57 years until he passed away in 2005.

A long-time educator, at the age of 20 Helen opened Paducah’s first Kindergarten before teaching primary grades at Valley View and Delwin rural schools. After taking a 10-year sabbatical to raise and spoil her two young children, she taught second grade in Paducah’s Alamo Elementary School. She taught for 33 years in the Paducah Independent School District and served as the last principal of the Alamo Elementary School prior to its consolidation. She loved teaching in the primary grades, especially second graders.

Helen’s greatest joy was being with her three granddaughters, having them spend time in the country with their Nana and Pooh, showing them how to catch butterflies and use cattle syrup tubs as swimming pools, helping to plan their summer talent shows for the family, teaching them how to cook chicken fried steak, and watching them grow into beautiful and strong young women.

Left to cherish Helen’s memory are her son Bradley Harrison (Marcy) of Fairfax, VA, daughter, Sally Stice (Fred) of Paducah; granddaughters: Samantha Blount (Brad) of Paducah, Alexandrea Valdez (Gavin) of Dalhart, and Emily Harrison of Lexington, KY; great grandchildren: Sage Blount, Violet Valdez and Colter Valdez; special nieces: Dorothy McKeen (Lamar) and Molly McKeen; brother George Woodley (Ruth), and many wonderful relatives and friends. Helen was an incredible and loving mother and grandmother who will be dearly missed. She was blessed with a good and long life. May flights of angels sing her to her rest.

Should friends desire, memorials may be sent to the Susan G. Komen Foundation (komen.org) for breast cancer research or the Garden of Memories Cemetery, Paducah, TX