Vernice Marie Helms





Vernice Marie Lagrone was born April 6, 1927 in Grandfield, OK to Vernon Elmer Lagrone and Meda Marie McClendon Lagrone. Vernice married Pvt. John P. Helms on October 8, 1943 in Grandfield, OK. Two daughters were born to Vernice and John, Johnette, December 1944 and Amanda, November 1951. Before becoming a wife and mother, Vernice worked as a telephone operator in Devol, OK. John was released from the Army with an honorable discharge in 1945. From that time, Vernice and John made their home in and around Temple, OK until 1970. Vernice worked as a pant presser at the Haggar Slack Factory in Temple from 1961-1969. After their move to Tulsa, OK in 1970, Vernice worked as an apartment manager for a number of years. She and John retired in 1993, so they could enjoy their family and activities even more. They loved taking their travel trailer to Ft. Gibson Lake, Wagoner, OK. Vernice loved cooking, reading and needlework. Vernice was a member of the Church of Christ since a young girl. She served the Lord in her Tulsa church home, East Central Church of Christ. She has lived independently since the passing of John in 1994. Vernice has been a resident of The Villages at Southern Hills long-term care since March, 2012.

She is survived by her daughters, Johnette Mirzaian Buzzell, Lake Havasu City, AZ and Amanda Smith and husband, Gary of Tulsa, OK; eight grandchildren, Michelle Wilbanks and husband, Michael, Todd Mirzaian, Kyle Mirzaian, Aimee Mirzaian, Bryan, Mirzaian, Amber Gutierrez and husband, Fernando, Jayme Ellis and husband, Russell, and Dustin Smith; six great-grandchildren, Alyssa Sonnier, Lindsey Smith, Aaron Smith, Eric Ellis, Evan Gutierrez, Owen Gutierrez; one great-great-grandson, Elijah Sonnier, Vernice was a blessing and a joy to all. Her humor and kindness were some of her outstanding qualities. She made the lives of everyone around her a little more interesting and happy. We will all miss her til we can be together again.