Obituary of Helen P Sexton

Helen Virginia Palmer Sexton, 100, of Olympia, South Carolina, passed away peacefully on December 16, 2019 at home with her loving family.  Daughter of Arthur C. and Sally Hinson Palmer, Helen was born December 1, 1919, in Columbia, South Carolina.  At the age of 3, Helen with her four older sisters (Ethel, Evelyn, Frances, Myrtle) and younger brother (Arthur Cleveland “AC”) went to Tiffin Ohio Orphanage when their father passed away. She returned to Columbia when she was 12 years old, went to Olympia School for a while, but then went to work as a weaver at Olympia Mill.  She worked for over 30 years as a weaver and trained other weavers in all of the Columbia Mills. After the mills closed, she worked as a greeter in the garden center at Walmart and enjoyed dressing up for the holidays, particularly Halloween and Christmas.

Helen was preceded in death by her husband Odo Sexton, Sr. and son Odo Sexton, Jr.  Surviving are her daughters Sylvia Sexton Crider George, Eileen Gregory, Merita (Ferdinand) Koenig, and her sons John (Pat) Sexton, Charles Thomas (Linda) Sexton, and Stephen (Sarah) Sexton.  She also had 16 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren, and 23 great-great-grandchildren.  She loved children, not kids. She always said “Kids are baby goats not children”. Which is ironic that her orphanage home is known as “home kids”.  She had a great since of humor and loved to dance.