Helen Bernice Stringfellow, 84, went home to be with her Lord on May 14, 2015. Helen was born February 9, 1931 in Nashville, TN to the late Wylie Edward and Helen Bell Pennington. She was the youngest of three children. She is preceded in death by her brother, Wylie.

In 1953, Helen married Henry Stringfellow in Nashville, TN. They later moved to Fort Wayne, IN where they were blessed with three children. In 1954, she received her bachelor''s degree from Tennessee State University. She worked for the Fort Wayne State Developmental Center for 29 years before retiring in 1993. For many years, she was a devoted and active member of Southern Heights Baptist Church.

When her grandson Ryan began calling her "Ma''am," so did everyone else. Ma''am is an abbreviation of madam, a way of addressing a woman with respect. Ma''am was worthy of that title. She was expert at telling scary stories, shopping for bargains at Goodwill, and watching "The Walking Dead." She loved ginger snaps, traveling with her family, and her dogs, Dot and Dodger (often feeding them from her plate).

As Ma''am grew older, her COPD made her into a woman who always spoke her mind. Because smoking was responsible for her inability to breathe without additional oxygen, whenever she saw someone with a cigarette, she would tell them to stop smoking because of what they were doing to their bodies.

Ma''am was an inspiration to many others as she courageously lived her life, up for any challenge, and allowing her light to shine for Christ.

She will be missed by her children, Rhonda Meriwether, Rodney (Jennifer) Stringfellow and Roland (Jerry Peterson) Stringfellow; her two grandchildren, Ryan Meriwether and Jonathan Moore; her sister and brother-in-law Syreldia & Ollie Bowden, her many nephews, nieces, grandnieces, grandnephews, cousins and friends.

Service will be 6:30 p.m. Friday May 22, 2015 at Southern Heights Baptist Church 4001 S. Anthony Blvd. Ft. Wayne, IN with viewing from 4:00 p.m. until service time. Pastor Otha Aden will officiate. Repass will follow in the church fellowship hall. Burial will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday in Covington Memorial Gardens. Preferred memorials are to Southern Heights Baptist Church.