Helen Christine Ridenour

It is with great sadness that Helen (Virgie) Christine Nelson Ridenour who was born July 15, 1935, to the late Virgil M. and Sophia Weaver Nelson went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Monday March 16, 2026 at The Cumberland Village Nursing Home with her loving granddaughter and caregiver Amanda Reynolds by her side. When she entered in heaven on Monday afternoon she was reunited with her Loving Husband Ed Ridenour.

Helen was a devout Christian woman who loved the Lord and her family. She attended Cumberland View Baptist Church in her earlier years then attended LaFollette Church of God for many years and over the last few recent years she had been attending Mt. Paran Baptist Church. Helen woke up every morning and started her day off by reading her Bible. She loved living life to its fullest and handing out Tic Tac’s. Helen loved working in her flowers and the front of her earthly house showed that. In her earlier years she loved canning vegetables, fruits and cooking for her family. Helen worked for the LaFollette Shirt Factory for many years and a number of other factories after that. She had lots of friends and family members who will remember her as the friendly giving person she was.

In addition to her parents and husband, Helen is preceded in death by her stepmother Isadora V. Ridenour; sister Mary Lou Stewart and her brother Calvin (C.L.) Lee Nelson.

Helen is survived by her daughter Linda Young of Caryville; her granddaughter Amanda Reynolds and husband Lowell of LaFollette; her grandson David Martin of LaFollette; her great grandsons, Johnathan David Hopson and Shane Reynolds; her great granddaughters, Vanessa Reynolds, Katie Martin and Meranda Martin; her sisters Aileen Hatfield of Athens and Wanda F. Keele of The Villages, FL; her step sisters Rosemary Sutton of Kentucky and Ann Ridenour of Georgia; her step brother William Fred Ridenour of Clinton; six nephews, two nieces, several aunts, uncles, and cousins in the Duff and Jacksboro area.

The family will receive friends from 5:00 to 7:00 PM on Thursday March 19th, 2026 at Martin Wilson Funeral Home with her funeral service to follow at 7:00 PM with Pastor Ron Williams officiating. Family and friends will meet on Friday March 20th, 2026 at the funeral home at 10:15 AM and go in funeral procession to Mt. Zion Cemetery where her earthly body will be laid to rest at 11:00 AM.

The family has entrusted the care of Helen (Virgie) Christine Ridenour to Martin Wilson Funeral Home “Where Families Matter Most.”