Helen Mathis Gilliam was born March 17, 1917 in Edgefield, South Carolina. She was the seventh of thirteen children born to the late Simp and Agnes Mathis.  Helen was baptized at Springfield Baptist Church.

At Springfield Grade School, Helen was an avid softball player and was considered very good at the sport.  In her early 20s Helen met and married M. L. Mathis and give birth to three daughters, Mary (deceased), Annie, and Alma.

In the early 1950s, the family moved to Richmond, Virginia to start a new life.  During the same time, Helen joined Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church.  For several years, she stayed home and looked after her family.  When she decided to pursue a career, she worked at Miller & Rhoads Department Store for over 15 years.  Helen was an accomplished seamstress most of her life.  She taught her beloved girls the art of cooking and sewing.

After the death of her husband, she later married Elmer Gilliam and moved with him to Ashland, Virginia.  Elmer moved his church membership to Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church to be with his wife.  At Sixth Mount Zion, Elmer was elected a Deacon, and Helen was consecrated as a Deaconess, a role in which she faithfully served for over 50 years.  She also volunteered for the Haywood Hunter Friday Feeding Ministry for many years.  At her passing, she was the church's oldest living member.

Helen loved going to Friendship Cafe' in Ashland where she was an active member for about 30 years.  She was a member of the Neighborhood Watch Program.

She leaves to cherish her memory, two daughters, Annie C. and Alma; three grandsons, Melvin and Calvin Bingham, and Lee A. Williams, Jr.; one granddaughter, Tina M. Wilson; fourteen great grandchildren; six great great grandchildren, a host of nieces, nephews, and a loving church family.