My Story: Helen Marie Vaughn Priddy

This is a book about our mother, Helen Marie (Vaughn) Priddy (1931-2021). She was a four-time cancer survivor; devoted wife to a loving, giving man; mother of four; grandmother of ten; and great-grandmother. We were very blessed to have Christian parents, and it showed. We grew up in Big Spring, TX where small-town values were real. Our family was different. Not better. Just different. Our friends naturally gravitated to our home because our parents made it a welcome and fun place. So many of our friends came from broken homes, or families that had little or no faith background. It didn't matter - all were welcome. Mom was the finest Christian woman any of us have ever known! She and Dad provided a Spiritual foundation for our family that we all have tried to pass on. Mom made Dad a better man, and each of us better people. Her life impacted so many around her - more than we'll ever know! She was a prayer warrior - someone who chooses to fight personal and spiritual battles through prayer and the wisdom of the Lord instead of in their own strength. Beyond a doubt all four of us knew that she prayed for each of us every day - even before we were born. Life was never about her. It was about her loved ones and others. She made our family work. That old saying, you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone, rings true. We were blessed beyond what we deserved with our parents, and our mother's love and prayers for us provided a solid foundation that will endure for generations. This book was written from a compilation of her diary, family conversations through the years, and memories from her friends and family. Ritchie Priddy is the son of Don and Helen Priddy and brother of Druanne, Pam, and Melinda. He grew up in Big Spring, Texas and lives in St. Francisville, Louisiana with his wife Tammi. They have two sons, Benjamin and Aaron, their wives and three grandchildren. "My sisters and I were very fortunate to have had such wonderful parents. Our mother was the one who made our family work. We wanted to write this to preserve her memory and the impact she had on so many lives."