Helen Wade Henry

As family members were around the bedside of Helen Henry, the words the lord whispered in her ear were not known; but one thing we do know is that she had no fear because the God she trusted and believed in was able to keep her all the way. After a courageous fight, life peacefully came to a close for Helen W. Henry on April 23, 2018.

She was preceded in death by her husband Charles Henry and her brothers John D. Martin and l.B. Martin.

On April 8, 1928, Helen W. Henry was born to the late Lemuel and Luella Martin in Milam, Texas. She learned early who Christ was in her life and received him as her Lord and Savior at an early age. In 1946, she moved to Orange, Texas where she was a member of Mt. Sanai Baptist Church and a member of the Heroines East Gate Court lodge #133.

She later married the late Charles Henry on December 21, 1951 in Orange, Texas and enjoyed 54 years of marriage. This union brought to them two sons, Huey and Elroy Wade and one daughter, Lillian Kay Cook. After moving to Corpus Christi, Texas in 1958 they became members of St. John Baptist Church where Mrs. Henry was blessed to serve in various ministries, the choir, Sunday School Teacher, Mission, Vacation Bible School, Finance Committee, BTU Worker, Evangelism, and Women's Chorus. She often did piano solos for many St. John Choir musicals. In the community she was a member of the NAACP and Black History Cultural Committee. Her mantra has always been "May the work I do, speak for me" and her love was felt in everything she did.

In 1967, she graduated as a Licensed Vocation Nurse and worked for many years at Driscoll Children's Hospital. In 1970, she became determined to continue her education as a Nurse and graduated with an Associate Degree in Applied Science as a Registered Nurse in 1976. In 1978, she became the first African American Nurse hired by the Corpus Christi Health Department. Her greatest joy was working as a Nurse in a capacity that helped others.

She leaves to cherish her memories two sons, Huey P. Wade (Sharon), Elroy (E.K.) Wade, and one daughter, Lillian Kay Cook (Rudy). One grandson, Shaun Q. Belcher, three granddaughters, Tynesia Johnson (David), Kimberly Williams, and Lovely Gallien. Five great-granddaughters, Alexis, Alyssa, Brittnee, Hailey, and McKenzie; five great grandsons, Demetrius, Dylan, CJ., Elijah. and Ahmad. Two Nephews, Mark Abram and Jeff Martin and a host of other family and friends.