Mary Helen Bobo

Mary Helen Keasler Bobo, 91, left this Earth to be with her Heavenly Father, adoring husband, John Landrum Bobo, her beloved parents, Paul Keasler and Mallie Winchester Keasler and siblings Eleanor Gibson, Mildred Breazeale, Alma Barrett, Ruby Holliday and Gary Keasler. She passed peacefully at her home in Pickens on November 30, 2025.

She is survived by her sister, Sue Holcombe, and her brother, Carlyle Keasler. She also leaves behind three daughters, Vicki Bobo Sasson, Patricia Bobo Grantham (Jim) and Amanda Bobo Hennigan (Dave), as well as seven grandchildren, John Sasson, Tara S. Keenan, Sellers G. Petromichelis (Paul), Hagood Grantham (Hayley), Reed Hennigan (Jessie), Zachary Hennigan (Madison), and Ben Hennigan (Holly). She also was blessed with seven great grandchildren: Vivian Keenan, Steele Keenan, Landrum Petromichelis, Lake Petromichelis, Jaycee Armstrong, Ella Grace Hennigan and Annie James Hennigan.

Mary, Mary Helen, “Merke,” “Baby,” Momma, Ma-Ma was a special woman of many talents who has left a legacy. Born and raised in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Nine Times-Sunset community, Mary Helen was a devout member of Shady Grove Baptist Church for the whole of her life, serving in the choir, as the pianist, and as a faithful congregate.

Mary Helen was honest, loyal and a woman of her word. She was a tough and spicy cookie. She led a good, clean life.

Mary Helen met her husband, John Landrum, at Pickens High School and they married May 13, 1954. “Baby” was an extremely devoted wife of almost 70 years. J.L.’s early life’s work often took him out of town and even in the first year of their marriage, they moved together to upstate New York and lived there until “Baby” became pregnant and so homesick they had to move back home. Even so, she was incredibly faithful - waking at five a.m. to ensure J.L. had a hot breakfast and a homemade packed lunch. It is said that his co-workers were eager to see and smell what “Baby” had packed in the lunchbox for him every day. Each evening she would also have a full supper and a homemade dessert ready and waiting for J.L. Her cooking was - and remains - unmatched.

Together “Baby” and J.L. rejoiced over the birth of their children, Vicki, on May 25, 1955, Patti on May 10, 1958, and Mandi on October 6, 1962. Although the earlier years of their marriage were financially trying, Momma worked tirelessly to ensure her family was raised in a good Christian home, always had incredible meals, clean and line-dried clothes, love, and laughter. She was a gardener and was always waiting to harvest vegetables to preserve them. She picked, broke, and canned green beans, froze vegetable soup, canned tomatoes, froze crowder peas and canned her infamous pickles and VERY HOT pepper jelly.

Mary Helen also maintained a lifelong friendship with her five childhood girlfriends, affectionately known as “the girls.” Patsy, Dorothy, Edith, Eleanor, Georgia and Mary Helen visited monthly for lunch at various restaurants and talked daily over the decades. She loved her family and friends without ceasing. 

After raising her daughters, Momma eagerly anticipated her fun days of shopping trips. “Flying” on the roads in her trusted blue-1988-Eldorado- Cadillac, “Elvira” to Belk for “Belky Buck Days,” to Hamrick’s for their special sales and later, to The Dream Center, to spend hours searching for the best deals on clothes, shoes and jewelry that would catch her eye! Her remarkable ability to sniff out bargains remains unmatched.

Every Wednesday Mary could be found - rain or shine - at the Pickens Flea Market, wandering the paths and bartering tirelessly with every vendor whose wares she admired. Her bargaining skills were legendary.

Later in life, she developed a deep friendship with Mary Boggess; the two could be found after the close of the flea market sitting at their designated table at Burger King talking and happily revisiting their treasures from the day.

In Ma-Ma’s many trips to Pawleys Island with family, it became a place she anticipated visiting with planned excitement. She always enjoyed taking her love of reading to the water's edge where she also felt she could empty her mind and uplift her soul. It was her paradise.

Momma also was strangely amusing, unbeknownst to her, and when her family gathered, they could regale one another with hundreds of Ma-Ma Moments:

*On her childrens' and their spouses’ and her grandchildrens' birthdays, each awaited the highly anticipated phone call from Ma-Ma with her own SPECIAL rendering of The Birthday Song

*Everyone would be on stand-by to hear the very unconventional and even hilarious name she would bestow upon a new pet

*If anyone ever acted a bit defiant, Ma-Ma would “bark” at them from across the room. It was Ma-Ma’s signal to behave

*Every Christmas, her children would all pray for a jar of Ma-Ma’s pickles and a jar of her “STEAMING HOT!!!” pepper jelly to be under the tree.

Oh how Mary, Mary Helen, “Merke,” “Baby,” Momma, Ma-Ma will be sorely missed,

        BUT AREN'T WE GLAD AND GRATEFUL WE HAD HER!

The families are at their respective homes and will have a memorial service to celebrate Mrs. Bobo on December 30, 2025 at 2:00 pm at Shady Grove Baptist Church. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 1:00-2:00 at the church.

In lieu of flower, memorials may be made in memory of Mrs. Bobo to Shady Grove Baptist Church, 2901 Shady Grove Road, Sunset, SC 29685.