Helen Mae Hammons Friel, age 85, of Buckeye, passed away Saturday, March 21, 2026, surrounded by her family.
Helen was the daughter of the late Lee Hammons and Binnie Copenhaver Hammons.
She will always be remembered as having an open door for any family member that needed a place to live or just wanted to share a cup of coffee and gossip; she never asked for anything in return.
If you were to ask her what she would like to be remembered for she would have told you the accomplishments of her children, grandchildren and family. No matter what you wanted to do in life, in her eyes you had already achieved it.
She was always making people laugh at something that you may have thought of as ordinary, but she would always see it in a funny way, something to make you laugh.
Helen retired from Han-over Shoe Company where she proudly played on the Hanover Women’s softball team.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her parents, seven brothers, Okey, Lacy, Cecil, Theodore, James, Dewey and Harold, and two sisters, Goldie Hammons Burgess and Mazie Hammons Burgess.
She is survived by her husband of 67 years, Ray Aaron Friel; children, Cleva (Jeff Shaw), of Marlinton, Daniel, of Marlinton, Lora (Kevin Malcomb), and Ronald (Tina), all of Buckeye; grandchildren, Emily Friel (Matt), Hillery McLaughlin, Vincent Malcomb, Vanessa Mothes (Kurt), Lea Ann Khribi, Ryan Shaw (Kate), Austin Friel (Tara), Medina Ramsey, Izaac Ramsey and Shane Ramsey, and 17 great-grandchildren who lovingly called her Nanny.
Funeral service will be held Saturday, March 28, 2026, 2 p.m. at the Lantz Funeral Home with Rev. Fred Goldizen officiating. Burial will follow in Cochran Cemetery in Onoto.
The family will receive friends from 1 p.m. until time of service
Online condolences may be made at Lantzfuneralhome.com
