Helen Sapaugh

Funeral service for Helen Sapaugh, age 86, of Sulphur Springs, Texas will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at First Baptist Church in Sulphur Springs with Dr. Jeff Gravens, Tommy Johnston, Brit Fisher, and Brady Fisher officiating. Interment will follow at Restlawn Memorial Park with Dwayne McMeans, James Litzler, Brit Fisher, Tim Glenn, James VanWinkle, and Chris Clement serving as pallbearers. The Busy Men’s Bible Class, Children's Sunday School Workers, and Encouragers Anonymous will be Honorary pallbearers. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 1:00-2:30 p.m. at the church. 

On February 17, 2025, Mom finally got her wish and is now present with the Lord and walking the streets of Heaven.

Helen Ruth Shelton was born in Reilly Springs, TX on August 24, 1938, the daughter of George Porter Shelton and Edith Jo Wells Shelton. She married Wendell Don Sapaugh on March 8, 1963. She was a lifelong resident of Hopkins County and Sulphur Springs, TX and invested her life in serving others. 

It's hard to sum up our mother in a brief obituary, but if allowed one word to accurately describe her, it would be "grit". 

Born in 1938, she was the oldest of 6 siblings (3 girls and 3 boys). Her father and mother worked very hard to provide for their family and mom earned her keep working at Duke & Ayres at an early age to lend her support. Though college was not on her resume, she was by far the most intelligent person in our family. "Grit".

First, she loved God and demanded a high standard of everyone. She found great joy in praying for others, maybe even you. Second, she loved her family, all of them, and no matter what. Thirdly, she loved First Baptist Church where she gave her heart to Jesus as a young girl attending Vacation Bible School and where she spent over 50 years serving in the children's ministry. She also cherished her involvement in Encouragers Anonymous (guess anonymous part not a big deal now), Woman's Missionary Union, and Girls in Action over her years at FBC. But let's be clear, her love had "grit". If you haven't been harshly corrected, accused of not doing enough, or threatened to be fired, then you probably weren't a close enough friend. Her greatest act of love (and most times display of penance) was a rum cake with extra rum or a chocolate pie with a tall meringue.

She was the workhorse behind many of Dad's speculative investments, from managing the Spring Meadow Apartments to the Royal Inn and Greyhound Bus Station to their rental properties. She also stepped up to assist with the care of Aunt Jackie when duty called. Whatever was thrown at her, she would straighten it out and real soon. She worked tirelessly at cooking for friends and events and gardening (a certified Master Gardener, of which she was very proud). 

She loved her husband, children, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter with that same kind of "grit". Demanding, and at times coarse, but fiercely defensive of us to any foe. Later in life she always bragged of her favorite daughter, favorite son, favorite daughter-in-law, and favorite granddaughter. Of course, she only had one of each. Most of all she bragged on Anna and was proud of the man she chose to marry, and as a friend wrote, Mom will now have the best seat of all for the wedding.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; brother, Tommy Shelton, sister-in-laws; Penny Shelton and Jackie McGlamery, and her in-laws; Cowboy and Jesse Sapaugh. She is survived by her children, Julie Anne Sapaugh of Waco and Don Sapaugh (wife Jill) of Sulphur Springs; granddaughter, Anna Kate Sapaugh (fiancé Dylan Silcox) of Dallas; siblings, Lynn Shelton, Joe Kenneth Shelton (wife Sheila), Ann Clement (husband Carlisle), and Debbie Shelton Roberts; nieces and nephews, Tommy Kent Shelton, Robin Shelton Fanning, Tonya Shelton, Brent Shelton, Kenneth Shelton, Natalie Clement, Chris Clement, and Loyd Lennon and loved them all. 

Thank you to all the caregivers over the last few years including Carriage House, Christus Mother Frances Hospital, and Sunny Springs. And especially to Julie for being her favorite caregiver, advocate, and bus driver and ensuring the highest quality of life possible for mother in her last years. 

 "All that troubles is but for a moment.
All that pleases is but for a moment.
That only is important which is eternal."
(Milan Cathedral)

In lieu of flowers, memorials and donations may be made to the Children's Ministry of First Baptist Church Sulphur Springs.