Helen Blackburn,83, of Imboden died Saturday March 12, 2022 at her residence. Helen was born in Jonesboro on January 21, 1939 to Fritz and Bertha Miller Lewis. She was married to Alvin Blackburn, a good husband, provider, and parent, who died on May 14,1988 after a bout of cancer. They married in January 1957 in Hernando, Mississippi. They moved to Norwalk, California(pop.80,000)in 1958 and had four children while there and in 1967, Helen and Alvin moved to Blanket, Texas(pop 300) for a better place to raise children. While in Texas, she and her husband bought a small service station and cafe(Hitching Post) and ran them both for 2 years. Because of Alvin’s parents poor health, they moved back to Arkansas in 1970. Helen opened The Cake Place in 1970 and had many valued customers over the 36 years she was in business. She often said the most rewarding job she had was making and decorating cakes for the public because she made friends far and wide! She missed her work!
Preceding her in death are her parents, her husband, her brother Harry Lewis, and her granddaughter, Gabbie Gates.
Left to mourn her passing are her daughter, Cindy (Carroll) Deen of Imboden; her sons, Glenn (Cindi) Blackburn of Black Rock, Gary (Sandy) Blackburn of Black Rock, and Tommy Blackburn of Walnut Ridge; her sister, Barbara Kilgore of Wilmington, Delaware; and her sisters in law, Donna Isham of Blanket, Texas and Sharon Lewis of Paragould; 14 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, and 6 great great grandchildren.
Helen has been a dedicated member of the First Baptist Church of Hoxie since the age of 16. She taught classes, helped with pot lucks, and helped with the food bank. In fact, the family is requesting that instead of flowers that donations be made to the food bank at Hoxie Baptist Church.
Helen’s outside interests includes Lions Club where she helped with the pancake breakfast at the Foothills Celebration and the BBQ stand at the Lawrence County Fair. At the Lawrence County Fair, she also served as a fair judge and was the manager of the Horticulture Department. Her work at the Lawrence County Fair was much appreciated. As a member of the Lawrence County Advisory Board she helped to prepare for the yearly county fair and rodeo. Helen was also a member of the Lawrence County Extension Homemakers Club for 61 years and served at the 4H banquet and as a judge at the yearly beauty and talent contest. She served as an officer at all levels in the EHC.
Helen served as mayor of Black Rock and was a board member for the Senior Citizen meal site, chairman of the annual Foothills Celebration, member of the street and alley committee, member of the police committee, member of the water board-budget-finance committee, and the city restoration committee. She served as mayor until she retired in January 1, 2006.
Since 1986, Helen has worked with the Hoxie High School Alumni Association which holds a banquet (for any person who has ever attended Hoxie school) every 3 years. She was vice president of the class of 1956 which has a luncheon of the day of the banquet for their classmates.
She was a member of the GWFC Altruism Club and helped with many projects that helped kindergarten children with reading at the schools. She also served on as foreign affairs chairman and as a member of the food and recreation committee in the club.
Visitation will be held at the House Gregg Funeral Chapel on Tuesday from 5 until 8 pm.