Helen Blake

Helen Blake, 82, of Paris, Tenn., died Feb. 11 at Saint Thomas Midtown in Nashville with her husband of 63 years and all three of their children by her side.

She was born in Des Moines on April 30, 1938, as the only child of Jasper and Sadie Wier, of Jefferson.

She met and later married Vince Blake on Dec. 22, 1957, her best friend and lifelong companion, while attending college in Des Moines. Shortly after their marriage, Vince was drafted into military service and together they traveled wherever the military needed their service for the next 20-plus years.

Throughout all that time, she welcomed each new assignment with joy and a zeal to learn the cultures and customs wherever they found themselves. 

She enjoyed all forms of crafts, including lapidary, leather modeling, ceramics, jewelry making, sewing and quilting. She also owned/operated a bakery in Jefferson and retired as an administrative specialist from US West Direct in Denver before relocating to the Paris area in 2001.

She was a lifelong member of the Church of Christ and enjoyed singing and the fellowship of all who worship together at the Van Dyke congregation of Paris.

She is survived by her husband, Vince, of Paris, and their children Steven (Treva) Blake, of Paris, Larry (Shon) Blake, of Jefferson, and LaDonna (Doyl) Watson, of Abilene, Texas;  nine grandchildren: Laura Blake, of Paris; Andrew (Ashley) Blake, of Fort Bragg, N.C.; Robert Harms and Timothy Blake, of Carroll; Paul Blake, of Jefferson; Sarah Watson, of Lexington, Tenn.; Joseph (Amy) Watson, of Murray, Ky.; Jessie (Ash) Watson, of Murray; and Joshua Watson, of Abilene; four great-grandchildren; and a close family friend, Jill Valentine, of Paris.

Cremation services are being handled by the Neptune Society of Nashville, with a family memorial to be conducted later this year with interment of her remains in the Van Dyke Church of Christ cemetery.