Helen Elizabeth Turner Penland, age 87, died Sunday morning, October 28, 2018, in the Pisgah Manor Health Care Center of Pisgah Valley, a continuing care retirement community in Candler, NC. Helen was born at home in Campobello, SC on July 17, 1931, to Donald Goodman Turner and Maude Estelle Camp and lived in Spartanburg, SC. She and her older sister, Marjorie, moved to Asheville, NC when Helen was 12 years old.
She graduated from Lee H. Edwards High School (now Asheville High School) in 1949 and from Mars Hill College in 1951, where she received a degree in Associate in Arts. During college, she was treasurer of the Home Economics Club and a member of the Clio Literacy Society and the International Club. She continued her education in Home Economics Science at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.
Upon graduating in 1953, she worked at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Asheville as a dietician. During high school, Helen met the love and light of her life, Talmage Newton Penland of West Asheville, NC, and married him March 18, 1951, at West Asheville Baptist Church. In 1954 she gave birth to their eldest daughter, Rebecca (Becky) and in 1956 to Cindy (Cricket).
Helen and her family were active members of West Asheville Baptist Church where Helen taught Sunday school and sang in the choir with her husband. They moved to Chapel Hill, NC for Talmage to attend law school. While living there, Helen worked as a dietician at Duke Hospital for 3 years.
They returned to Asheville where Talmage began his law practice. During this time, the couple was blessed with two more children, Danny and Diana Penland. In addition to caring for her family, which was always Helen’s first priority, Helen became active in the First Baptist Church of Asheville and joined the Asheville Home and Garden Club where she was a long time member.
Helen loved gardening and being outdoors. She always had a vegetable garden and was an expert at canning food. She and her family camped almost every year and made lifetime friends who camped with them.
Helen and Talmage ultimately set up a vacation home on Penland family property at Lake Chatuge in Hayesville, NC, where the family could hike, boat, swim, and just enjoy beautiful sunsets by campfire. Helen was also a devoted daughter who cared tirelessly for her aging parents. After the death of her father, Helen took over the job of taking her mother to the grocery store, church and doctors.
After Maude entered Pisgah Valley Assisted Living and Nursing Home, Helen visited her mother daily for almost 10 years to hold her hand, fix her hair, take her on walks, and advocate for her every need with the staff. Helen loved singing and dancing with her husband. They enjoyed playing board games with friends and family and watching sports together.
In support of Talmage’s role on the National Board of Community Colleges, the couple traveled throughout the country to support community and technical colleges. Helen was preceded in death by her daughter, Cynthia (Cricket) Penland Trisdale. She is survived by her husband of 67 years, Talmage Newton Penland, who currently resides at Pisgah Valley Retirement Center; her sister, Marjorie Inez Turner Davis of Marietta, GA; her daughter, Rebecca Penland McCurry and husband, Elvis, of Black Mountain, NC; son, Daniel James Penland and wife, Dottie, of Asheville; daughter, Diana Penland Allison and husband, Dennis, of Gaffney, SC; grandchildren, Allison Carolina Fulkerson and husband, Ben, of Bethpage, TN; and great-grandchildren, Gavin Penland, Kiernan Penland, Solara Penland, Christian Allison, Haley Allison, Ricky Allison, Kelly Allison, Cody Allison, Kira Noble, Kolby Noble, Rose Fulkerson and Rhett Fulkerson.
Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday in the chapel of Groce Funeral Home, 1401 Patton Avenue, Asheville, with the Revs. Leah Brown and Dr. Mack Dennis officiating. Interment will follow at Green Hills Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home, prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to the state school for the blind: The Governor Morehead School, 2303 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699 (Attn: Business Office).
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