Helen Sosebee Martin

Helen Sosebee Martin, age 86, of Ringgold, GA, passed away on April 22, 2021 .  She was born on May 13, 1934 in Fannin County, GA, to the late Albert Thomas Sosebee and Lillian Weeks Sosebee.

                Helen grew up in Fannin County and had one older and one younger brother.  She married Charles Doran Martin in December 1951 after graduating high school.  Charles was a pilot in the military and Helen loved being a military wife.  They lived many places in the United States as well as abroad and both of their children were born on military bases.  Helen became a young widow when her beloved was killed in a 1964 military plane crash.  She returned to Chattanooga to raise her children and worked at Southeastern Electric Supply Co. as a bookkeeper for thirty-five years.

                Faith and family were the priorities in Helen’s life.  She was of the Baptist faith and for many years was a member of Spring Creek Road Baptist Church before moving to Ringgold and joining Tunnel Hill Baptist Church.  Her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren brought her great joy especially with their sports activities and playing “McDonald’s drive-through”. She was a known and frequent spectator at their sporting events with her folding chair and sun hat. Her cheers were the only time you would hear her voice raised and heaven help any sport official that, in her view, made a bad call against her family.  She loved to travel with her daughter, Janet, and son-in-law, Larry, and looked forward to their frequent ramblings on the back roads of New England.

                Helen was preceded in death by her parents, Albert Thomas Sosebee and Lillian Weeks Sosebee; husband Charles Doran Martin; son Charles David Martin; brother Thomas Warren Sosebee; sisters-in-law Barbara Payne Sosebee and Barbara Orr Sosebee.  She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Janet Martin Adams and Daniel Larry Adams; brother Robert Lee Sosebee; grandson Adam Martin Needham; granddaughter and grandson-in-law Kimberly Needham Day and James Overton Day, Jr; great-grandchildren Kayla Ashlyn Needham, James Overton (JD) Day III , Addison Martin Needham, Bailey Grace Needham, Cooper Lee Day, Colton David Day, and Aubrey Claire Day;  several nieces and nephews as well as several step-grandchildren and step great-grandchildren.  The family wish to thank all those who cared for Helen in her final days and wish to also thank Alison Sosebee for her ever-thoughtful assistance.

                Funeral services will be held at Heritage Funeral Home in Ft. Oglethorpe, GA on Tuesday, April 27, 2021 at 12:30 with visitation beginning 2 hours prior to the service with Harold McClure officiating.  Interment will immediately follow at the Chattanooga National Cemetery.  Pallbearers will be Adam Martin Needham, James Overton Day, Jr, Robert Lee Sosebee, Jr, Michael Lynn Sosebee, Thomas Warren Sosebee, Jr., and James Overton Day III.  Honorary pallbearers will be Cooper Lee Day, Colton David Day, Robert Christopher Sosebee, Joshua Holden Sosebee, Michael Dakota Sosebee, McGwire Peyton Sosebee, Nathaniel Lee Maloof, and Grahym Sosebee Maloof.

                The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent in Helen’s name to Tunnel 2 Towers Foundation at www.t2t.org or the Gary Sinise Foundation at www.garysinisefoundation.org.

                Arrangements by Heritage Funeral Home & Crematory, Battlefield Parkway.

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