Dora Mae Hellums

Dora Mae Hellums, born Dora Mae Wages, passed away on September 13, 2026, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Crittenden County, Arkansas. She was born on July 25, 1943, in Pontotoc, Mississippi, and lived a life centered on love, family, and quiet strength.

Dora was a homemaker who devoted herself to caring for her family. She loved her family first, always, and found great joy in raising her children and grandchildren. As the oldest of nine children, she carried a deep sense of family throughout her life, and that devotion remained at the heart of who she was.

She also brought warmth and personality to everyday life through the things she enjoyed. Dora collected unicorns, salt and pepper shakers, and magnets, and she was a huge fan of Kenny Rogers. Those simple pleasures reflected a spirited and affectionate nature that will be fondly remembered by all who knew her. Among her proudest accomplishments was her remarkable strength in surviving breast cancer for more than 20 years, a testament to her resilience and determination.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Lewis E. Hellums Sr., whom she married on January 26, 1962, and who passed away on December 31, 2009. She was also preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Rozelle Wages, and by her sisters, Doris Wooten, Janie Pegram, Patsy Carlise, and Tina James.

Dora leaves behind a loving family who will continue to cherish her memory. She is survived by her son, Jackie Hellums, and his wife, Susan, of Senatobia, Mississippi. She is also survived by her granddaughter, Suzanne Hellums Burdett and her husband, Craig, of Southaven, Mississippi; her grandson, Michael Hellums and his fiancée, Madelyn Pinout, of Winnipeg, Canada; and her great-grandchildren, Tabitha Burdett and Robert “RJ” Burdett. She is further survived by her brothers, Dennis Wages and his wife, Paula, of Hernando, Mississippi, and David Wages and his wife, Connie, of Hernando, Mississippi; and by her sisters, Barbara Vincent and her husband, Tom, of Corinth, Mississippi, and Linda Wilkerson and her husband, Eugene, of Independence, Mississippi. In each of them, her love for family lives on.

Visitation will be held on Monday, September 21, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at Brantley Phillips Funeral Home, 2470 Hwy 51 S, Hernando, Mississippi 38632. The funeral service will follow at 1:00 p.m. at Brantley Phillips Funeral Home. Interment will take place at New Bethlehem Cemetery, 3961 Church Rd, Nesbit, Mississippi 38651.

Dora Mae Hellums will be remembered as a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and survivor whose life was rooted in love. Her family was her greatest joy, and her memory will remain a lasting blessing to those who knew and loved her.