Helen Ruth Adkins

October 27, 1936 - December 30, 2015

Helen Ruth (Preece) Adkins was born October 27, 1936, to Francis Marion Preece, Jr., and Ella Mae (Tingler) Preece. She graduated from Lenore High School and graduated from Berea College in 1957 with her nursing degree in 1957. She worked as an RN for forty years, the majority of it with the Appalachian Regional Hospital, from which she retired, or the Highlands Clinic in South Williamson, KY, and was one of the original nurses in the Delbarton clinic when it opened. She married Cloyd “Brother” Adkins in 1960 and they celebrated 50 years together before he passed away in December of 2010. There were four children in the family, Cary Neil Adkins, (wife Gerry and daughter Betsy), Carolyn Adkins, Valerie Adkins (son James Cole Younger and daughter Natalie Younger), and Michael Adkins (wife Cindy, son Nicholas and daughter Lydia). Helen was a member of the America United Baptist Church in Delbarton for many years until she moved to North Carolina. At the America church she was active in the youth program and taught Sunday School for many years mostly in the Junior High and Senior High classes. After moving to North Carolina she was a member of Wyatt’s Grove Baptist Church. She is survived by her children and grandchildren, her sister Shirley Swain, brothers Larry Preece, George Preece and Tom Preece, many nieces and nephews whom she adored, and was preceded in death by her husband Cloyd, her parents, and her brother Francis Marion Preece III. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Friday at Chafin Funeral Home in Delbarton, with funeral to be held Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at the America United Baptist Church.