Helen Louise Newsome

Helen Louise Newsome was born Helen L. Deckard, to James T. Deckard and Mattie Carter, on January 17, 1926. Growing up in a family with four (4) sisters (Lusterene, Lillian, Maxine, and Hazel) and two (2) brothers (Maxie and Ernest) in Palestine Texas; Helen attended and graduated from Green Bay High School while attending Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church. She once told a story about how, if you were dressed nice, the church instructors would allow you to stand up and speak.

Urged by her sister Hazel, Helen moved to San Bernadino, CA. She loved sitting in the park, listening to the music and watching the people have a good time. Helen's first job in California was working in the fields, she also worked as a waitress. She told us about how she was so fascinated by the different people that walked by or came into the restaurant; she was eventually fired because she spent more time watching the people instead of serving them.

Aunt Hazel later introduced Helen to her brother - in-law, George A. Deloach. They fell in love and were married in 1946. Through this union, Helen was blessed with seven children Gerald, Ronald, Kenny, Ralph, Rhonda, Lynette (Teresa) and Randall. In 1963, Helen married Willie R. Newsome and again was blessed with two more adorable sons, Kevin, and Brian Newsome.

In 1963, Mother and family moved to our family home in the Oak Park neighborhood, now known as the Med Center neighborhood. It was at this home mother became involved in the community. Mother always believe you should have your own. As a mother, raising nine (9) kids, mother was an entrepreneur who sold Avon products. This gave her an opportunity to meet many of the neighbors and families within the Oak Park community. Although we never had a chance to witness mother in action on the sales side of her job, most of us participated in the operational side such as filling orders or going with mother to the post office, late at night, to make sure the order was postmarked before midnight. One night when returning home from a late-night post-office run, we found the house was surrounded by police. They were looking for an escaped mental patient. Mother and Lynn were not able to enter the house until the search was complete. This was a frightening time because the rest of the kids were in the house alone. Luckily, they were sleep and the person was not found at our home.

Although we lived in a very diverse neighborhood, the elementary school we attended was not. Ralph and Rhonda would come home with stories about the fights they had gotten into or how they were harassed and chased home from school. It wasn't until the school district started busing students to Coloma did the principal recognize the tensions taking place at the school. At a PTA meeting discussing these issues, mother was very vocal and passionate when she spoke about how her children were constantly harassed and no action was taken by the school administration. It was at this time the principal asked mother to work as a monitor at the school. Our mother agreed for two reasons, first to protect her kids and second to protect other kids from being bullied. Mother soon became PTA President and worked with the school principal to implement policies to protect the younger kids from the older kids. One such policy was the painting of a red line down the center of the playground. This separated the older kids from the younger kids; thus, reducing the harassment and bullying taking place between the older and younger students. This policy and practice stayed in place for years.

The older kids (Gerald, Ronald, and Kenny) grew up on 43rd street. It was during this time mother started serving as a den mother for the Cub Scouts. If you listen to Ralph, tell the story, he was mother’s top scout. During her scouting period, and probably with the help of her “top scout”, mother was presented the top “Den Mother” award.

It was through “Weight Watchers” mother first started inviting people to our house and entertaining. Mother would host her “Weight Watchers” meetings in the living room. The room we couldn't even walk through as kids. The sacred living room. On Saturday’s, we were allowed to enter the sacred living room only because it was your assigned cleaning area. We knew, when mother was meeting someone in the living room, don't even think about going in there. It was probably best if you just stayed upstairs until it was over.

As the kids got older, Mother went back to school and received her nursing credentials. We were all so pleased to attend our mother’s graduation and watch her become a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN). After receiving these credentials, mother started working at various nursing facilities, and then landed her dream job as a LVN with UC Davis Medical Center. Mother continued to work at UC Davis Medical Center until she retired.

Mother loved the outdoors. She loved raising things and she loved growing things. Her plants were beautiful. One year mother went to Georgia and came back with a sapling of a Georgia pine in a zip lock bag. That tree is now standing 50 feet tall in our backyard. She kept us entertained by taking us fishing at the Sacramento River, involving us in sports such as football, softball, and tennis; and on the weekends, we would pile into the station wagon and go to the drive-in movie. Mother would always allow us to pick the movie, and we ended up watching some pretty interesting movies, who remembers “Soylent Green”

Our mother was a very strong woman. She was a loving and caring protector, while at the same time a severe disciplinarian. She had to be, she was raising seven young men during the 60’s and 70’s. Mother made huge sacrifices for her children. Everything mother did, she did it so her kids could have a better foundation and a better life. Whether it was selling Avon, so we would have new school clothes every year, or working at Coloma to assure her babies came home looking the same way they did when she sent them to school; mother continued to put her kids first. Mother was very prideful about how she looked and how she represented herself. She was always open to learn new things, try different foods and go to different places. Active with the Oak Park Woman Civic Improvement League, a support system for women, mother met other women from the community who were faced with the same challenge of raising children during that time. They came together and exchanged recipes, shared ideas on raising kids, learned about money management and it allowed a safe place to share and learn. At one meeting, the league burned marijuana in a can so the mothers would be able to recognize what is smelled like. This league is still active in Oak Park.

Due to her community involvement, Mother had made a name for herself in Sacramento and the Oak Park Community. She raised seven (7) boys and two (2) girls with a solid foundation. This solid foundation manifested itself to look like teachers, public servants, medical professionals, entrepreneurs, and corporate employees. Mother has been identified as the “Mayor of Miller Way” as well as our family being described as being “royalty” in Sacramento. “Helen, you did a great job”.

It was with great sadness we had to announce the passing of our mother. While surrounded by her children, mother passed away in her home of sixty (60) years on February 17, 2022. She was ninety-six (96) years old. Her husband, Willie R. Newsome, her sisters, Lusterene Blache, Maxine Deckard, Lillian Deckard, and Hazel Deloach (passed February 23, 2022); her brothers Maxie (Shaney) Deckard and Ernest Deckard; her children Gerald Deloach, Kenny Deloach and Rhonda Deloach, all preceded her in death.

She leaves behind to cherish her memory; her remaining children – Ronald Deloach (Veronica), Ralph Deloach, Teresa L. Deloach Reed (Ronald), Randall Deloach, Kevin Newsome (Lisa), Brian Newsome (Carmen) Grand Children – Jerry Deloach, LaSalle Deloach, Matthew Newsome, Dominique Moran (Lauri), Nicolas Newsome (Amber), Andrew Newsome, Jessica Reed, Jamal Deloach, Akil Reed, Kelly Newsome, Ronzanae Belton, Alex Newsome, Camille Newsome, Aubree Deloach, Trinity Deloach; Great grandchildren – Nickhia Newsome, Sole Newsome, Kaleb Koroma, Kai Koroma, Aria Rose Newsome, Karter Newsome, Zaydia Romero, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and a loving Sacramento community. Rest in Paradise Mrs. Newsome.