Funeral services for Mrs. Helen Elizabeth Murphy-Williams were held on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017 at 10 a.m. from the Clara G. Hudson Memorial Chapel. Rev. Joseph Feagin officiated.

Burial followed in Magnolia cemetery. Hudson Funeral Services of Greenville, Ala., directed.

Helen Elizabeth Murphy-Williams was born May 31, 1933 to the late Mr. Lewis Hood Murphy Sr., and Mrs. Lucille Hudson-Murphy.

She departed this life journey on Monday, Jan. 9, 2017 at L.V. Stabler Memorial Hospital, Greenville, Ala.

Helen was educated in the Greenville, Ala., school system, where she attended Baptist Hill Elementary School and later received her high school diploma with honors from Greenville Training School in Greenville, Ala.

Helen attended Business College at Winonia Trade School in Birmingham, Ala.

As a young girl, Helen participated in various activities such as but not limited to being an all-star basketball athlete representing No. 68 on the all-girl Greenville Training School team.

She was also competitive in playing tennis and volleyball.

Helen enjoyed playing checkers, monopoly and the card game pitty pat with her only son, Bernard J. Williams Jr., and her husband, the late Bernard J. Williams Sr.

As an adult Helen fulfilled her dreams to move to New York City where she resided with the late Mrs. Lillian Straughn in the Bronx, N.Y.

Shortly after arriving to New York City, aunt Lillian Straughn introduced Helen to Bernard J. Williams Sr.

They courted for four years and the two were married in 1959, and on July 5, 1964 they welcomed with an abundance of joy their only son, Bernard J. Williams Jr. She worked as a secretary for various New York publishing companies and after working hard to achieve the secretarial level of executive secretary.

Helen successfully became his primary executive secretary for Mr. William Randolph Hearst Jr., of Hearst Publishing Inc. in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, N.Y., where they published Esquire, Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Good House Keeping, Country Living and Woman’s Day, to name a few well known household magazines.

After 25 years of working Helen resigned to become a full time homemaker and to return to Greenville to take care of her elderly parents.

Mrs. Helen Murphy-Williams was preceded in death by her father; Mr. Lewis Hood Murphy Sr.; mother, Mrs. Lucile H. Murphy; brothers, Mr. Lewis Murphy Jr. and William Ivy Murphy; sister, Mrs. Deanna Hilson; husband, Mr. Bernard J. Williams Sr.; and brother-in-law, Mr. James Z. Loveless.

Helen leaves to cherish her memories her only son; Mr. Bernard J. (Mrs. Sher`ri A.) Williams Jr.; sister, Mrs. Dorothy Loveless; sister-in-law, Mrs. Ora Murphy; brother-in-law, Mr. Albert Hilson; nephew, Mr. Randolph Murphy; nieces, Ms. Cynthia (Tofig) Murphy; Mrs. Dorthea Hilson; four great nephews and one great niece.