Mrs. Helen Sue Davis Bivens, 78, of Connelly Springs, passed away on Monday January 1,
2024 at UNC Healthcare, after a period of declining health.
Mrs. Bivens was born June 22, 1945 in Burke County, a daughter of the late Marion and Elvie
Brittain Davis. She became a faithful and active member of St. Johns Baptist church after joining in 1957. While she was employed in various positions early in life, including helping her husband Ken with his furniture finishing business, she spent most of her life as a hardworking homemaker caring for her family which brought her the most joy. If you knew Helen, you knew a friend who loved to talk and often make you laugh. If you didn’t know her, she made sure you did before she left the room! Helen never met a stranger. She loved meeting new people, telling stories and talking up a storm. She may be quick to give you her opinion but she was always the first one to open up her door and her home to anyone in
need. Helen’s heart was as big as her kitchen, especially for her family. Family was everything to her and she did everything she could to help a family member struggling even if it meant sacrificing her own needs for a time. Helen and Ken’s house was the place to be in the summertime! While she rarely swam in the pool, she loved to host friends and family to come swim and cookout. Family brought her so much joy and happiness, especially when the grandbabies started coming. She loved being a grandmother more than anything and would spoil her grandkids relentlessly. Helen loved to cook and make goodies every Christmas. She would share her amazing goodies with everyone, taking trays to all her daughter’s workplaces. Everyone loved when Helen’s Christmas goodies arrived and every time it snowed, her oven would be filled with peanut butter cookies to go with her homemade snow cream. She had a special talent in the kitchen and spoiled us all with her delicious food and desserts. Besides her family, Helen most loved her church! She was a faithful member all her life and held several positions in the church but she most enjoyed being one of the curtain pullers every year during the Christmas play and being one of the first to pick up and deliver food to a family who had just lost a loved one. Church was very important to Helen and she made sure she and her family were there anytime the doors were open. She loved Jesus, leaned heavily into her faith and loved to give a standing testimony often. What many may not know about Helen is that while she was boisterous and out-going, always talking & laughing, she struggled quietly with depression and worry that was difficult to shake most of her life though she tried. She worried more than she should and lost a daughter & granddaughter sooner than she should, but she still gave so much love to everyone, even often with a broken heart. While the last several years have been difficult for her physically & mentally, she would always find ways to smile and of course, cracking jokes with the staff at College Pines. Helen made sure her family knew how much she loved them. She was her family’s biggest cheerleader, always letting them know how proud she was of them. She was one of a kind and one of the strongest women we knew. She was a devoted & loving wife, mother,
grandmother, great-grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend. She will be forever missed and never forgotten. Her work here is finished and now she is reunited with her dearly missed loved ones again!
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a daughter, Melinda Carroll and grand-daughter, Kristie Crowder.
Surviving, is her husband of over 60 years, Kenneth Bivens of the home, three daughters, Pamela Crowder (Buddy) of Morganton, Kimberly Smith (Mark) of Connelly Springs and Jennifer
Wood (Tom) of Connelly Springs and a son-in-law, Freddie Carroll (Katrina), a brother Danny
Davis (Karen) and a sister, Gladys Ledford. Also surviving are the apple of her eye, her grandchildren, Corey Carroll, Kayla Carroll, Mary Carroll, Kaitlyn Crowder, Rachel Wood, Abby Wood, Sean Smith, and Katrina Suzanne DeProfio, seven great-grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews.
Funeral Services for Helen Davis Bivens will be held at 12:00 PM Thursday January 4, 2024, at St. Johns Baptist Church with Rev. Tony Dyson officiating. Interment will follow in the St. Johns Baptist Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 11:00 AM to 12:00 AM Thursday at St. John’s Baptist Church, 6141 St. Johns Church Ave, Connelly Springs NC 28612.
Memorials may be made to the St. Johns Baptist Church, 6337 Old Laurel Rd, Connelly Springs
NC 28612.
I am so truly sorry for your loss. As a good friend of Kim’s, I so remember those days of coming to the house and Helen always being so loving and telling me stories. I also remember the amazing goodies that she would bring to the bank where Kim and I worked.
Please know that all of you will be in my thoughts and prayers today and in the days ahead. Sending so much love to all of you.
Kimberly and family, I’m sorry to hear of your Mother’s passing and pray for comfort in the days ahead.
Helen was dear friend of mine all through my childhood and high school laughing and having fun was the name of the game. I was with her when she stated dating Ken and she was with me when I started dating my husband Brantley. When we both married and I moved to Kansas City with my Air Force husband we didn’t have much contact for a few years. After getting back to NC we visited and kept up with each other, I regret not as much as we should have. I should have visited my friend more, I didn’t realize that she was at college pines. Each time that we were together the fun and laughter was like old times. I will miss here.
My heartfelt condolences for the loss of such a special woman. I have fond memories of Helen, Ken, and Jennifer coming to our house for Christmas dinner after Buddy and Pam were married. You knew if Helen was present there would never be a lull in the conversation (lol). Helen truly was all about family and giving. Although Jeff and I are unable to attend the service, our thoughts, love and prayers will be with you.
Ken, Pam, Kim and Jennifer, I wish I could have attended Helen’s service. I was at your house so much growing up and Helen was a second mother to me. She was always so warm and caring. Please know that my husband Bill and I are praying for you all. I miss Linda so much but I know she and her mom are together again. What joy there is in Heaven right now.