Obituary of Helen Ragan Brown

Mrs. Helen Ragan Brown, age 93, of the Hwy. 194/Sands Community in Boone, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at The Foley Center in Blowing Rock. Helen was born in Watauga County on July 25, 1927 to Carter and Maude Grogan Ragan. She was retired from TRW/IRC and was a member of Howard's Creek Baptist Church. Over the years, Helen was involved in numerous ministries within the church. She loved her Sunday School Class – the JOY ("Just Old Youth") group and the many activities and mission projects they did. She enjoyed delivering flowers to shut-ins in the community in her "little gray Pontiac VIBE" with her sister-in laws, Faye Greene and Pearl Norris. She enjoyed quilting – every family member received at least one handmade quilt from her and she donated many quilts over the years for the church bazaar. She also had a love for gardening, canning, jigsaw puzzles, search-a-words, gospel hymns, and watching game-shows and westerns on TV. She loved the holidays, especially Christmas…and was like a kid opening gifts. But she loved nothing more than spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren – she cherished and had a special bond with each of them. No matter the occasion she was always the life of the party…bringing so much joy and laughter to all! In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Roby Brown, two sisters Paris Winebarger and Mary Dee Cooke, a brother George Ragan, son-in-law Roland Jones, as well as several brother-in-laws and sister-in-laws. Those left to cherish her memory include her children, Sandy Jones, Randy Brown and wife Lisa, and Debbie Greer and husband Tony; her grandchildren Tammy McClannon and husband Terry, Amy Shook and husband Mark, Jennifer Kemp and husband Joe, Derek Brown and wife Leslie, Brittany Story and husband Austin, and Erik Greer and wife Rachel; her great-grandchildren, Jeffrey Shook, Kiersten and Jonathan McClannon, Bryce Kemp, Ryland and Hadley Brown, and Thomas, Allie, Ben and Anna Greer; a brother Robert (Bob) Ragan, sister-in-law Wilma Ragan Simpson, brother-in-law Kenneth Wilcox; along with many loving nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins and friends. A Celebration of Life Service for Helen Brown will be conducted Saturday, July 17, 2021 at 3 PM at Howard's Creek Church Fellowship Hall. The family would like to thank The Foley Center and Hospice for their care during her short stay there. Memorial contributions can be made to St Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or to the Sand's Cemetery Fund, c/o Debbie Greer, PO Box 2651, Boone, NC 28607. Online condolences may be shared with the Brown family at www.austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com. Austin & Barnes Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the Brown family.