RED BAY, AL – Helen Elizabeth Nelson McDowell, 96, passed away peacefully Wednesday, July 1, 2026 at Generations in Red Bay, AL. Born on June 1, 1930, Helen grew up in the country, in a rural area surrounding Red Bay, Alabama. She lived the majority of her life in Red Bay with the exception of a brief stint in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. She attended Red Bay High School, where she held the distinct historical honor of being crowned the very first “Miss Red Bay High School.” At the age of 19, she married her high school sweetheart, Buster McDowell.
Helen loved staying busy and was always a very hard worker. For most of her life, she was a dedicated partner in her husband’s family business, running Buster’s wholesale side-by-side with him. Whether it was gathering vegetables in the garden, working at the wholesale, or later in life helping Mac spin honey, she could always be counted on to get a tedious job done and would help pass the time chatting away the minutes in merry conversation.
Following the passing of her husband, she dedicated her time to helping her daughter raise five very busy grandchildren. After the untimely and early passing of her daughter, she then rotated living with her grandchildren and spent many years traveling across the Southeast attending many youth sporting events of her great grandchildren and being an active part of their lives even well past the age of 90!
A service to honor and celebrate Helen’s life will be Sunday, July 5, 2026, 2 p.m. at Deaton Funeral Home, Red Bay, AL. Visitation will be Sunday, July 5, 2026, 1-2 p.m. at Deaton Funeral Home. Burial will be in Hillcrest Memorial Gardens. Deaton Funeral Home, Red Bay, AL will be in charge of arrangements.
She is survived by her son-in-law, Wally; five grandchildren, Beth (Gordon), Mac (Lori), Samantha (Kale), Catherine (Blake) and Patrick; ten great-grandchildren, Will, Jeb, Gracie, Molly, Scarlett, Reese, Beau, Walker, Claire and James; three nieces Pam, Paula and Janice and one nephew George.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, D.E. “Buster” McDowell; her daughter, Charlotte McDowell Hellums; her parents, Charles and Alton Hester Nelson; her brother, Leland; her sister, Charlene and her niece Cathy.
Pallbearers will be Jeb Blair, Will Moody, Gordon Blair, Kale Moody, Blake Brown and Beau Blair.
The family asks in lieu flowers, if you would like to honor Helen or her family in a special way, please help support local students by sending donations to The Charlotte Hellums Memorial Scholarship Fund at UNA Foundation, UNA Box 5113, Florence, AL 35632.
