Helen Bernice Halliday

Helen Bernice (Watson) Halliday was born to Joe and Zula Watson on Friday, June 13, 1930 near Dierks, Arkansas.

        Mom’s Obituary in her own words:

I AM A COUNTRY GIRL!  My Dad loved to train horses and also trained me to love horses and ride well. My mom was a home maker and gardener. I loved to work in the house but not to garden. My grandparents on both sides also lived in the same community. I was very fortunate. 

Dad, Mom and I attended Greens Chapel Methodist Church. I became a member at the end of a revival when I was 13. After high school I came to Dallas, Texas for a job. Phil was getting out of the service at that time also. We found jobs, started dating, and then married in a little Methodist Church in Oak Cliff, Texas. Phil was born and raised in a little town called Horatio, Arkansas which was only 30 miles from my childhood home. 

We lived in Oak Cliff in a duplex house. Later we bought a house in October 1959 in Mesquite, Texas (the same house I lived in for most of my life) with our two children (at the time), Gary and Charlotte.  Liz and Cindy were born a few years later. We had a wonderful life there. Our children had a lot of playmates and friends there.

We were looking for a church so when St Marks United Methodist Church was built we were happy. I was in the first service but didn’t become a member until later (early 1965). 

Our four children, Gary, Charlotte, Liz, and Cindy grew up in St Marks UMC. They made wonderful christian friends. All the activities were great they still talk about them. 

Christmas every year at St Marks UMC and our home were great. We decorated our Christmas tree while Christmas music was playing which was very peaceful. 

On Christmas morning we gathered around the Christmas tree read the birth of Jesus’ from our Bible and celebrated Jesus’ birthday. 

Even after our children had married and had their own homes they would still come back on Christmas morning for our celebration. We did this until Phil became ill with MDS a long illness and went to Heaven on July 7, 2011. Since then Cindy and her husband Dale have held Christmas Day at her home. Liz and her husband Mark held Thanksgiving Day. Phil and I have 10 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren and many more to come. How blessed we are!

My health has prevented me from attending service and activities at St Marks UMC for the last few years. I really miss St Marks UMC.

I am survived by my kids: Gary and his wife Kathleen Halliday, Charlotte Chaney, Liz and her husband Mark Berry, Cindy and her husband Dale Graves. My grandkids: Josh and his wife Jess Chaney, Louis and his wife Angelle Ponseti, Jake and his wife Robin Chaney, Seth and his wife Anne Mills, Robert and his wife Stephanie Berry, Joey and his wife Jeni Chaney, Cory Graves, Lisa Berry, Rebecca and her husband Aaron Burgins, and Leslie Berry.  My great grandkids: Becca, Korben, Logan, Valerie, Joshua, Louis, Gary, Tracen, Caroline, Elliott, Caroline, Walker, Maggie, Grayson, and two on the way.

My Love,

Helen