Sara Helen Riddle departed this earthly life to begin her eternal heavenly life with her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on Thursday, January 17, 2019 at her home. She was born in Parkersburg, WV on June 19, 1929, the daughter of the late Theodore J. Sheppard Sr. and Dosha Archer Sheppard. Helen graduated in 1947 from Parkersburg High School in Parkersburg, WV.
As a young woman, Helen started her working career at Dils Shoe Salon, which was a leased department within Dils Brothers and Company. After Dils Brothers, she enjoyed working close to home at M&W Tire and then later at M&W True Value Hardware, both in Mineral Wells. Her greatest passion was spreading God’s message of love and redemption through music.
Helen could not read music and played the piano by ear – a living testimony of her God-given talent. She started playing around age 10 on the family pump organ. Two years later at age 12, she began playing for the children’s ministry under the direction of Mrs. R. L. Kelbaugh, in the basement of (then) South Parkersburg Evangelical United Brethren Church.
Later she became the pianist for the congregation until she retired in 2016. She also played for the Wood County Choir. In 1959, she and her late husband Darrell, along with Elmo Gault and Leon King, started The Servants Quartet.
Over the next 47 years, they spread the message of God’s Redeeming Love through their Southern Gospel song ministry until complications from her macular degeneration made it too difficult to continue. Other members of the quartet over the years were Carmen Adams, Paul Wigal, Dan Beardmore, Andy Anderson, Harold Yoak, Dave Warfield, Brad Lewis and Phyllis Bradley. She was a charter member of South Parkersburg United Methodist Church, joining in 1941 when it was still South Parkersburg EUB Church.
She and childhood friend Helen Brannon Simpson led the children’s choir for over 50 years, doing musicals like Amazing Grace, Down By the Creek Bank and We Like Sheep. Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Eugene Darrell Riddle and brother, Theodore J. Sheppard, Jr She is survived by her children, Phyllis (Randy) Bradley, Jeanne (Gary) Schade, Roger (Jo Ellen) Riddle, Tammy (Chuck) Lewis, 10 grandchildren, Amy Ramsburg, Brad (Patty) Lewis, Jessie (Mike) Towner, Sarah (Jim) Braden, Jackie (Jamie) Birchfield, Elizabeth Bradley, Michelle Stover, Wesley Riddle, Amanda McCrady, Becky (Travis) Butler and 3 step-grandchildren Maria, Travis and Alanna Schade.
She was thrilled beyond measure when each of her 15 great-grandchildren were born – most of whom she has never seen due to her blindness. They are Jamison and Grayson Ramsburg, Garrett and Brayden Lewis, Elliza and Levi Towner, Austin Braden, Joeli, Jayci, Josi and Jayli Rose Birchfield, Braxton and Rhett Stover, Blake and Lily Butler. Also included is step-great-grandson, Donovan McCulley.
In addition, she is survived by her first cousin that she always said was like a little brother, Eddy (Ruth Ann) Sheppard and also sister-in-law Juanita (Ralph) Wigal, along with several nieces and nephews. As a young woman, she wrote a song titled “Someday I’ll See My Jesus”, which The Servants Quartet recorded and made the title of their first long-play album. After being totally blind with macular degeneration for over 13 years, the song holds even more meaning to her family & friends – the chorus noted below: Oh someday, I’ll see my Jesus Oh someday, He’ll take my hand Oh someday, I’ll be with Jesus And walk through the Promised Land.
This is God’s plan for all His children Oh the joy that fills my soul. To know that someday, I’ll be with my Jesus There to live forevermore. Services will be Monday 11:00 AM at South Parkersburg United Methodist with Pastors Rick Brown, Carroll McCauley, and Jim Plyburn officiating.
Burial will be at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. Visitation will be Sunday 2-4 and 6-8 PM at Leavitt Funeral Home, Parkersburg and Monday one hour prior to the service at the church.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: SPUMC Music Dept. , 1813 Rayon Drive, Parkersburg WV 26101 or a memorial donation in her honor to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, PO Box 515, Northampton MA 01061-0515. A memorial donation form can be found at: www.
macular.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/memorial-donation. pdf Online condolences may be sent to the family at www. LeavittFuneralHome.com.
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