Helen Kitchin Obituary

WHITTIER - Helen Evelyn Williams Kitchin, 94, of the Whittier community in Jackson County slipped away peacefully in the early morning hours of Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Haywood Regional Medical Center.
Helen was born Sept. 30, 1929, as the middle child of seven to the late Golman B. and Miranda Cable Williams.
Born in the Proctor township of Swain County, Helen spent the earlier years of her life mostly in Graham County where she met the love of her life, Willard Paul Kitchin, who was logging in the Fontana area at the time when they met at a little store. They married on Oct. 2, 1942, two weeks before Willard was drafted into the Navy during World War II. During Willard's time of serving his country in the Philippines, Helen worked in the laundry facility during the construction of the Fontana Dam and continued to live with her parents until Willard's return. After Willard's return from the war two years later, the newlyweds moved to Jackson County and purchased the family farm in Whittier off Thomas Valley Road.
They started a family and moved briefly to Buncombe County where Willard continued to log and Helen worked in a bakery on Main Street in Canton, decorating cakes.
In the late 1950's, Willard and Helen moved back to the farm in Jackson County, and it was here that they would permanently settle and raise their family of four children.
Helen spent some of her most enjoyable years raising her children, helping take care of her grandchildren as well as children in the community. She devoted many years to the Whittier community by working as the school secretary at Whittier Elementary School, serving and volunteering with the Whittier Community Development Club and serving several terms as an officer of the Whittier Elementary School PTA.
She loved to tend to the garden and was famous for her ability to preserve fruits and vegetables that her family so enjoyed. Helen prepared many scrumptious meals for her family and loved ones through the years. She was very savvy in being able to quickly whip up and serve some good food! Some of her many enjoyable hobbies included quilting, sewing, needlework and reading her Bible and Christian fiction novels. One of her most recent favorite novelists was Karen Kingsbury.
Helen was a member of the Whittier United Methodist Church, but attended Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Dillsboro for the past 30 years until her health began to decline.
Along with her parents and husband, Helen is preceded in death by her brothers, Claude, Leonard and Cecil Williams; sisters, Nell Sizemore, Myrtle Burns and Katie Wilson; and son-in-law, Eric Smith.
Helen is survived by her sons, Danny (Margaret) Kitchin and Dale (Billie Luck) Kitchin; daughters, Susan (Tommy) Ashe and Kelli (Glenn) Weeks; ten grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
The family received friends Tuesday, Sept. 24, from 10 to 11 a.m., at Crisp Funeral Home. Funeral services followed at 11 a.m., also at Crisp Funeral Home with Dale Kitchin and Aaron Langston leading. Tommy Ashe presided over the graveside service. Pallbearers were Gregg Kitchin, Jack Kitchin, Ben Kitchin, Jake Smith, Jath Ashe and John Kitchin. Burial was in Cable Cove in Graham County.