The Helms Family sadly announces the passing of our father, grandfather and great-grandfather, Edwin D Helms, Jr a resident of Mariposa County and member of Hillside Baptist Church for more than 30 years.
Eddie was born in Los Angeles on Dec. 1, 1934 and grew up in Bell Gardens, Calif. He joined the U.S. Army and served with the Occupation Forces in Germany after World War II.
He returned, met and married his sweetheart, Shirley in 1957. They moved to Orange County in 1962 and raised their family in Cypress,
Calif. Eddie worked for Pacific Telephone and AT&T as an installer, moving up to repairs and on to working on the PBX exchanges.
He maintained all of the telephones in Disneyland and knew the secret observation places in the park like the control room at the top of the Matterhorn.
Eddie and Shirley bought land and built their home in Mariposa just outside Ponderosa Basin in the early 1990s. Eddie built his house with his own hands and the help of family and friends.
Eddie and Shirley were active in their church and in their lives of their grandchildren, attending school events, sporting meets, plays and concerts spread across Mariposa County. Weekends and holidays were always festive and full of their joy in their grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Eddie and Shirley were blessed with six grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.
Eddie is survived by his wife, Shirley, of Mariposa; daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren, Karen Helms Bodfish and Todd Bodfish, Emily Bodfish Berkhoudt, Keith Bodfish and Juliana Bodfish Hughes (Kaneohe, Hawaii) of Catheys Valley; son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren and great grandchildren all of Mariposa, Edwin and Renee Helms, Amber Helms Fisher and Michael Fisher, Cora Fisher; Brittany Helms Bernstein and Chris Bernstein, Canyon Bernstein, Olivia Bernstein and Levi Bernstein; Dillon and Racheal Helms, Dillon Helms,Jr, Delilah Helms, Christopher McMahon, Sophie McMahon, Benjamin Helms and Sierra Helms; son and daughter-in-law, James Helms and Karen Forst Helms of Merced, and their children and grandchildren, Daniel and Sonia Nelson, Isaac Nelson, Ezra Nelson of Aptos, CA; Joshua and Molly Nelson, Oliver Nelson of Sacramento; Jonathan Nelson (predeceased); and Eddie’s brother and sister-in-law, Wayne and Jacqui McDade of Torrey, Utah; along with many nieces and nephews.
Eddie was preceded in death by his mother and father, Thelma and James T McDade, Sr. and brother James T McDade, Jr. and biological father, Edwin D. Helms.
Eddie went to be with his Lord on July 25, 2026, at home in the house he had built. Services and a Celebration of Life were on Aug. 22 at Hillside Baptist Church.
Interment will be at the National Memorial Cemetery in Santa Nella, Calif.
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