Lucille "Granny" Helton

Heaven gained a beautiful soul as the angels came and carried our mother over Jordan.

Lucille "Granny" Wheeler Ambrose Helton, passed away peacefully of natural causes at her home surrounded by her family. Lucille was 18 days shy of her 100th birthday. She was born March 16, 1921 to the late Parish and Mary Simmons Wheeler, of Utica, and was one of 10 children. Lucille was raised on the family farm where she worked diligently with her dad and siblings.

Mother was valedictorian of her high school class at Utica. Lucille was a longtime member of Bells Run Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday school and Vacation Bible School. Her present church membership was with Park Avenue Baptist Church, located in Madisonville. Lucille completed the Dale Carnegie Course. She enjoyed participating in the Emmaus Walk and was also recognized as a Kentucky Colonel.

Mother was strong willed with a heart like no other. She was adamant about everyone being treated fairly. Lucille was a perfectionist at being a seamstress and quilt making, making each of her grandchildren a quilt. She could take a garment from a thrift store and make it a masterpiece. As children, we preferred a dress she made from a flowered feed sack rather than one purchased.

"Granny" was a fantastic cook. Nothing tasted better than her home cooking. A favorite pastime of hers was yard sales and auctions; she enjoyed turning a dime into a dollar.

She was also an avid UK and UofL basketball fan. Mother enjoyed birthday celebrations each year with her family and friends. She was employed as a bookkeeper by Scott McGaw Motor Company in Henderson, and later transferred to Scott McGaw in Madisonville.

Granny was involved at the Elizabeth Mundy Senior Center. She was a longtime member of the Performing Ramblers Pantomime Band. Granny enjoyed dressing in the different costumes which she had made.

She loved to travel, visiting Nova Scotia, England, Switzerland, Hawaii, the World Fair in Seattle, and out west. Her favorite trips were to Florida with her family. Mother enjoyed square dancing, ballroom dancing, and she could even jitterbug. When she walked into a room, heads would turn.

In 1997, she suffered a broken neck from a motorcycle accident, and in 2006, at 86 years old, she suffered from a cerebral hemorrhage that caused a stroke. Mother was a fighter. After a year of therapy, she enjoyed 15 more years of living.

Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by her 7 siblings, including her 5 sisters, Ruth Henderson, Ida Kemp, Mary Rouse, Melvina Reynolds, and Wanda Whittaker, and her two brothers, Hardwick "Doc" Wheeler and Everett "Scootie" Wheeler; her grandson, Dr. Randall E. King, OBGYN; her first husband, B. Sterling Ambrose; her second husband, Glenn Helton; and her companion and dance partner, Don White.

She was a caretaker for her sister, Mary Logan Rouse and her brother, Hardwick "Doc" Wheeler.

Lucille is survived by her brother, Charles Wheeler, of Dyer, IN; her sister, Carolyn Cook, of Louisville; her children, Nancy King, Nelda (Donald) Sinnett, Linda (Martin) Chesney, and Baron Ambrose; her grandchildren, Danette King Preston, Cindy King (Mike) Hamilton, Teresa Sinnett (James) Snow, Pamela Sinnett (Marc) Hendricks, Kevin Sinnett (Anna Sowders), Susan Chesney (Mike) Baughn, Rebecca Chesney (Bill) Ballard, Tony (Stacey) Chesney, and Ashley Ambrose King; 25 great-grandchildren; 5 step great-grandchildren; 18 great-great grandchildren; 30 step great-great grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

She enjoyed visits from her grandchildren, especially sitting in her "Lazy-Boy" chair watching her yard being mowed.

Our mother was a beautiful, strong, resilient, and vibrant woman. She enjoyed life to the fullest. Our mother put herself last by taking care of others first. We have truly been blessed by having her for over 99 years.

The funeral service with limited attendance will be Monday at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory. Burial will follow in Rosehill Cemetery. The visitation will be from 2pm until 6pm Sunday, and from 10am until 11:30am Monday at the funeral home.

All who attend the visitation or service for Mrs. Helton shall be within current health and safety directives. Visitors shall wear personal protective masks and enter near the flagpole on the Breckenridge Street side of the building.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to Hospice of Western Kentucky, 3419 Wathens Crossing, Owensboro, KY 42301. The family would like to thank the caretakers of Hospice, as well as Mary Rabe, Lucille's senior companion caregiver, for the kindness and compassion they showed their mother