Helen Rose Crow Reeves, 93, passed peacefully away at her home on March 18, 2022. She was the youngest of four children, born May 11, 1928, to Marion Emmett and Donnie Estelle Crow. She attended Louisiana Polytechnic Institute after graduating from Marion High School. Helen was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority and was very active in campus life. It was here that she was given her lifelong nickname of “Caw Caw” by her friends. After graduating from Louisiana Tech, she began her teaching career in Bernice, Louisiana where she taught high school English and served as the girls’ basketball coach – a role she often said was given because she was the youngest teacher available who could run up and down the basketball court. Surprisingly, especially to her, Helen’s team made it to the state basketball tournament. It was during this time that she met her future husband, Dr. William Calvin Reeves, to whom she was married for 55 years.

Helen later returned to Louisiana Tech where she received a degree in Library Science. Following this, she served as assistant librarian at Tech and later became the head librarian of the Union Parish Library in Farmerville, LA.

Community service was always a very important part of Helen’s life. She was a founding member of the Bernice Historical Society and the Bernice Garden Club. Helen supported her husband diligently throughout his medical career, serving as a member of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Louisiana Academy of General Practice which awarded her Wife of the Year in 1961.

After the death of her husband in 2005, Helen moved to Ruston, LA to be closer to her family. She quickly became involved in her new community where she attended Grace United Methodist Church. There she was a member of the Friendship Club and the Workers for Christ Sunday School Class. Helen also became an active member of the Culture Guild in Ruston.

She enjoyed many hobbies which included china painting and sewing, but playing bridge was her favorite. Helen had the opportunity to make many lifelong friends among the bridge groups to which she belonged.

Family was always very important to her. She was a major source of love, strength, and support not only to her children but grandchildren and great-grandchildren as well. Helen is survived by her children Dr. Carol Ridenour (Mike Dufilho) of Saint Francisville, Kent Reeves (Kristine) of Bella Vista, AR, Dr. Laura McLeane (Mark) of North Little Rock, AR, and Lisa Barr (Chris) of Ruston.

She was and always will be “MuMu” to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her grandchildren include Andrew Ridenour (Liz) of Alexandria, VA, Avery Denby (Ned) of Baton Rouge, Elizabeth Smith (Nathan) of Bentonville, AR, Jennifer Newell (Jake) of Bentonville, AR, Christopher Reeves (Teagan Santin) of Coloma, CA, Anna Shelley (David) of Little Rock, AR, Rev. Will McLeane (Cate) of Raleigh, NC, Sara Kate Warren (Tyler) of Stonewall, LA, and Reeves Barr (Abby) of Fayetteville, AR. Great grandchildren are William and Alexander Ridenour, Elijah, Evelyn, and Violet Smith, Joseph and John Newell, Lela and Helen Shelley, Annie and Emily McLeane, Theo Barr, and soon to be born Ellie Rose Warren.

The family would like to extend their deepest appreciation to her outstanding physicians — Dr. Ben Grigsby, who served as her primary physician, and Dr. Brian Harris, Dr. Billy Smith, and Dr. David Osafo. We would also like to express our love and appreciation to her caregiver Patsy, and sitters Val, Lucy, Debra, Twyla, Jodie, and Lee Ester.

Visitation will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, at Grace United Methodist Church. A memorial service will follow at 11:00 a.m., also at Grace. A private burial will follow at the Bernice Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to the Dr. W.C. Reeves Scholarship Fund, c/o Bernice Historical Society, P.O. Box 633, Bernice, LA 71222, or the Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home.

“Those we love don’t go away. They walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near. Still loved, still missed and very dear.”
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