Obituaries – Their Stories Live On

Monday, February 25, 1929 was the day God graced the world with an angel named, Helen Marie Taylor Powell. Her journey began in the small town of Glen, Jean, W.Va., born to the late George Harrison and Mae Fairfax Taylor. Born the youngest of four, her mom passed when she was six months old.

She was then raised by her father and maternal grandparents. One of whom was William Fairfax, the first black Deputy Sheriff of Fayette County who shaped her sense of civil service. As a coal minerÆs daughter, she began her activism at the age of 15, when her father was disabled in the coal mines. She helped him win compensation for his injury and eventually his retirement pension. As a result, she began helping other local mining families receive their benefits as well. Helen intuitively began a life of service to others. Serving as the President of the State and National Black Lung Association, she helped organize the Breath of Life, an association for black (coal), brown(iron), and white(asbestos) lung victims. She along with others drafted the 1972 Amendments to the Federal Black Lung Bill that made it possible for thousands of Black Lung victims and their families in the state of West Virginia to receive benefits and compensation.

Her fatherÆs commitment to God and the First Baptist Church of Glen Jean inspired her life-long servitude to God and the First Baptist Church of Glen Jean. At the age of 12, she gave her life to Christ and served in multiple church ministries as Clerk, Treasurer, Superintendent, Sunday School Teacher, Secretary, and the Kitchen Committee. Her cooking ability was a testament of her love as any of us who ate her home cooked meals (rolls and fried chicken especially) could give a witness (hallelujah)!

Helen graduated from DuBois High School, Mount Hope, W.Va., at the age of 15. Instead of attending college, she became the primary caregiver for her ailing father and sister but found time for correspondence courses and became a certified paralegal. One of her quotes was ôwhat you get in your head, nobody can take awayö. In May 1998 she received an Honorary Doctorate from West Virginia University Institute of Technology.

? HelenÆs accomplishments are too numerous to list, but here are highlights of her extraordinary life:

? Appalachian Research and Defense Fund (now called Legal Aid), Board Member

? West Virginia Rainbow Coalition, Treasurer

? Board of Southern Appalachian Labor School, Chair

? Board of the New River Family Health Center, Board Member

? Organized the Disabled MinerÆs and Widows Association and worked with the United Mine Workers Association to lobby congress and President Nixon and got the Federal Black Lung Bill passed in 1972 which evolved into the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA)

During the Civil Rights Movement, in 1963 she marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta and Washington DC and subsequently rallied the Appalachian community around civil rights

Along with her children, she was the owner and operator of The Ritchie and Johnson Funeral Parlor.

HelenÆs most precious accomplishment. however, was raising two amazing children, Leonard ôLennieö Tyrone (Louise) Powell and Cheryl Patrice Powell; she was the cherished grandmother of two lovely children, Lindsay Michelle Powell and Leonard Tyrone ôTyö Powell; great-grandmother of adorable, Marleigh K; second mom to distinguished Retired Marine Chief Warrant Officer 5, Robin Jerome Gore; beloved aunt and ôsecond momö to Clarence Edward Taylor Jr. ôStumpyö, deceased, Shirley Ophelia Scott, Curtis Delano Meadows, and Charles Robert Taylor, deceased; revered great-aunt of Lucretia Marie ôher namesakeö, Tamara ôTammyö, Charles ôBuddyö (deceased), Troy, Curtis Jr. , Howard II, James, Pierre, Nicole, Juan, Pam, Anthony and Lakeshia.

In addition to her parents, Helen was preceded in death by her daughter, Ophelia Lynette (stillborn); siblings brother, William ôBillö (wife, Izetta), sister, Alberta ôBertö, brother, Clarence ôCEö (wife, Lucinda) and grandparents, aunts, uncles and numerous cousins.

Funeral service will be 1PM Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at the First Baptist Church of Glen Jean with Elder James Denson and Rev. Eugene Nabors officiating. Entombment will follow in Greenwood Memorial Park, Beckley. Visitation will be Tuesday, May 12, 2015 from 1PM -8PM at the funeral parlor, with the family receiving friends from 6PM-8PM.

Condolences may be sent to ritchie-johnson@suddenlinkmail.com

Arrangements entrusted to Ritchie & Johnson Funeral Parlor, Beckley, WV.