A TRIBUTE TO HELEN ROBINSON DILL
March 3, 1933-June 15, 2016
The following are remarks that I made during the funeral service for Helen on Sunday, June 19th at the Eastern Meadows church building in Montgomery, Alabama.
“Helen Robinson Dill, age 83 of Montgomery, AL, passed away on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. Helen Dill’s highest priority and joy in life was to be a good wife and mother to five; second only to her serving God and the church as a preacher’s wife. That life covered many moves to new cities and adventures, she was always ready. She would rise to the challenges utilizing her creative talents cooking, sewing, painting, gardening, and making ceramics.”
On Friday, November 21, 2003, we honored Helen and Roger at the Capitol City Prayer Breakfast. I spoke of them on that occasion. “Helen Robinson, a lovely young lady from Marietta, Georgia first came to Montgomery Bible College in 1950 for one year but Roger says that since he wasn’t there, she returned home and attended the University of Georgia and later enrolled at Alabama Christian College” (I was in the 10th grade in 1950 and knew Helen. The previous year, I had met Roger who stayed only one year at MBC).
“Roger relates how he was standing near the girl’s dormitory on the old campus on Ann Street watching as the new girls were coming in and it was then that he spotted Helen and determined that she was the one for him. They were married in 1953 and just recently observed their Golden Wedding Anniversary. I have often wondered what would happen if you crossed a DILL from Carbon Hill with a sweet Georgia peach. Would it be ‘pickled peaches’ or ‘sweet Dills’? I believe it was the latter. To this union was born Wendell, Nina, Evie, Alicia and William. They also have 10 grandchildren. They kept on having children so by the time we followed them in Opp, the brethren had added on to the preacher’s house. Virginia and I have always appreciated Roger and Helen for having five children, thus providing an additional large and lovely bedroom for us.
Helen has been and is an ideal preacher’s wife. She has been the ‘wind beneath his wings’. She has served 18 years as his/or the church secretary. Helen has taught ladies Bible classes for 35 years, along with other classes; and, she also been very busy in yers past in rearing five children.”
Virginia and I moved from Fort Deposit to Prattville in 2004 where we would make our home. It was then that Roger, Helen, Byron and Carolyn Benson, Virginia and I would become the closest of friends. We would often eat together on birthdays, anniversaries and at other times. But then death invaded our group. First it was Byron who died on Monday, August 24, 2009. Some 5 months later on Wednesday, January 3, 2010, Carolyn slipped into eternity. They are now in the care of their Heavenly Father.
Years passed but the time came when Roger had to have surgery and he never fully recovered from a deep sleep. He went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, October 21, 2015. And now, approximately 8 months later, on Thursday, June 16, 2016, our beloved Helen went to be with Roger in the eternal care of our Lord Jesus Christ who they faithfully served for so many years.
In closing my remarks, I read a portion of the poem, GONE by John Greenleaf Whittier :
