Mary Jane Helton (Rodgers)

GAITHERSBURG, M, FL – Mary Jane Helton (Rodgers), beloved by so many, peacefully entered the presence of the Lord on Monday, August 9, 2021, with family by her side at her home in Gaithersburg, Maryland, after a courageous battle against ALS. She was born on October 21, 1947, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Frederick Russel Rodgers, an attorney, and Martha Burch Rodgers (Mastin), a registered nurse. Her parents had one additional child, her sister Louise, who came 5 years later. Mary Jane met her husband, David Arthur Helton, while attending California Baptist College. They were married on June 2, 1968. After completing a B.A. degree, she spent several years as a social worker in Philadelphia, later working in libraries and taking some theological seminary courses. Subsequently she and her husband served as Southern Baptist missionaries in Mexico for a decade, engaged in university campus ministry. For the next 32 years, David taught college computer courses, including 19 years at Northern Michigan University. Mary Jane completed additional degrees in education, the B.S. from Chadron State College, Nebraska, and M.A., at Northern Michigan University. She taught special education for 5 years at Pine Ridge, South Dakota, and 14 years at the Au Train-Onota School, in Deerton, Michigan. In addition, she instructed several Spanish classes at a Christian school and taught a university course in this subject. Mary Jane and David were blessed with 5 children: Rebecca, twins: Benjamin and Charity, Grace, and Sarah. In addition to her husband, children, and sister, those surviving her include 11 grandchildren: Jonathan, Joshua, Joseph, Josiah, Joel, Rachel, Karis, Jaxson, Anneliese, Corrin, and Lucy; and 3 nephews: Andrew, Eric, and Chris. When she was 12 years old, at a children’s neighborhood bible class, Mary Jane accepted Jesus Christ’s forgiveness of sin through His Sacrifice on the Cross and entrusted her eternal destiny to Him. This changed her life forever. Mary Jane became an ardent student of the bible, taught in Vacation Bible Schools and Sunday Schools, and personally shared her faith with others. It was not uncommon for her to listen to a dozen sermons and many hours of Christian music within a single week. She enjoyed the fellowship of her church family and attended church services in many other states and nations. In terms of personality, Mary Jane considered herself to be somewhat shy. However, she felt comfortable among smaller groups of people who knew her well, where she could be quite witty. She was very sensitive to the feelings of others and an excellent listener. Mary Jane enjoyed many activities in her spare time. She was an avid reader, collecting hundreds of books, particularly in religion, history and children’s literature. As for cinema, she took special pleasure in viewing musicals, religious themes, and classics from the 1930s-1960s. She loved cooking, taking care of pets, gardening, and shopping for bargains. Mary Jane traveled extensively with family throughout the USA and to various countries on 5 continents. She never tired of historical sites and museums. She also had a passion for camping and hiking in beautiful settings, especially enjoying seeing animals in the wild. Her favorite places to visit within our nation were Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, and Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. Her children’s families usually lived far from her, but she always was willing to fly any distance to see them. She was loved dearly and will be missed by those she left behind. In lieu of flowers, please consider providing Bibles and New Testaments to be distributed around the world, for free, by donating to the Gideons International, at https://www.gideons.org/ donate or PO Box 140800, Nashville, TN 37214-0800. The memorial service for Mary Jane Helton will be held at 11:00 AM, on Monday, August 16, at Poolesville Baptist Church, located at 17550 W. Willard Road, Poolesville, Maryland. There will be visitation before the service at 10:00 AM, a luncheon at noon, and graveside commitment at 2:00 PM, nearby, at Monocacy Cemetery, Beallsville, MD. Hilton Funeral Home of Barnesville, MD, is in charge of arrangements.