Helen Swann

Helen Swann, of Clinton, Mississippi, passed away on June 22, 2023, surrounded by her family. A visitation for Helen will be held on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Lakewood Funeral Home, 6011 Clinton Blvd, Jackson, Mississippi, followed by a funeral service at 2:00 PM. Helen will be laid to rest in Lakewood Memorial Park.

She is preceded in death by her parents Aubrey and Virginia Wells, her sister Marjorie, and brothers, James and Leland. She is also preceded in death by her husband, Clyde Nichols Swann, and her children James Alan Swann, and Diann Swann McLauchlin.

Those left to honor her memory are her children, Gayla Hodges; David (Bettie) Swann; Jane Swann, Tim (Becky) Swann; her grandchildren Chase (Phillip) King; Nathan Hodges; Gregory (Kim) Hodges; Somerlin (Chris) Duncan; Faith (Seth) Lauterbach; Nick Hardt; Brad (Kendra) Swann; Kirby Swann; Kelsi (Brandon) McFarland; Christine (Will) Turner, along with her 24 great grandchildren.

She married the love of her life, Clyde Swann, on July 5, 1947. They had a true love story, and her children saw the love and respect between them over the years.

Helen was born to Aubrey and Virginia Wells in Cotton Plant, Mississippi. She grew up in Cotton Plant and attended school at Tippah Union. After graduation she moved to Memphis, TN where she lived in a boarding house and worked at a large department store. It was during this time she met Clyde after his return from serving in World War II.

She loved gardening, playing cards, reading, doing crossword and sudoku puzzles. She was a member of the Loyal Order of the Moose in Jackson, where she and Clyde enjoyed many happy times. She loved bingo and played there twice a week for many years. She also played on their bowling team earning high scores and many tournaments. She worked at Richland foods in Clinton and Draughn’s Business College in Jackson as a bookkeeper, but mostly she was a homemaker. Clyde's job took him away from home Monday through Friday, leaving her to care for their six children. We marvel at that now. She was a natural beauty and even when working in the yard she looked like a movie star. In later years, she loved to sit on her screened in porch watching hummingbirds and enjoying the beauty of flowers. She and our father had a house at Eagle Lake where they loved to fish, play cards with their friends, have fish frys on their screened in porch there, listening to country music, and entertaining the family for fun get togethers.

She had a great sense of humor she was a strong person enduring many losses and changes in her life which she handled with grace. She enjoyed years of Sunday dinners with Tim and Becky at their home which brought her great joy. We can only hope she passed some of that strength and grace to all of us who loved her dearly. Until we meet again.