Helen Hazel Dorris Thomas passed away peacefully on January 30, 2024, at Generations of Vernon in Vernon, Alabama.  She was 96 years old.

Helen was born to Allie Ray Dorris and James Columbus Dorris in Steens, MS, on January 22,1928.  She was the third eldest child in a household that would grow to include fourteen children!

Helen met Clarence Hays ("Hays") Thomas, and they married on September 1, 1947.  Helen and Hays welcomed their daughter, Jane Dorris Thomas, into the world on November 30, 1948 and later welcomed their son, Jimmy Hays Thomas, on July 8, 1951.  Jimmy passed away in 1994 and Helen and Hays remained married for a total of 59 years until Hays' death in 2006.  Helen was also preceded in death by five of her brothers, James, Monroe, Durwood Robert, and Ruble, and by three of her sisters, Ruth, Rachel, and Shirley.

Helen was a resolute and pious woman, whose strong sense of purpose and Southern ethos inspired her with day-to-day determination and bolstered her to overcome innumerable obstacles. Helen never slept in. She loved her gardens, her pets, and her family. She will be missed, but she will never be forgotten. We look forward to embracing her again.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, February 5, 2024, 11:00 AM, at the Asbury Community Church with burial to follow in the adjoining cemetery.  Visitation will be at the church from 10:00-11:00 prior to the service.

Helen is survived by her daughter, Jane Redding; her four grandchildren, Jennifer, Elizabeth, Robert, and Thomas; and her two great-grandchildren, Jude and Jadon.  She is also survived by her siblings, Grace, Betty, Ramona, Paul, and Jimmy.