Royce Leon Helms Sr., 99, of Smithville died June 15, 2025, at Walnut Ridge Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
Born February 10, 1926, in Smithville, he was the son of Carl and Hattie Justus Helms. He married Juanita Matthews on September 20, 1947.
Leon was a Sloan-Hendrix High School graduate. He served in the Army in Germany in the mid-1950s and spent 35 years operating a dairy farm with his wife. The couple and their sons were named 1977 Lawrence County Farm Family of the Year.
He was a Smithville Community Center and Farmers Home Administration board member. He was also a Smithville Fire Department volunteer and was a member of Smithville Baptist Church.
Leon loved to garden, and share produce with others for many years. He enjoyed watching college softball games and liked to share stories from the past with his family.
Along with his parents he was preceded in death by his wife, Juanita; a sister, Jolene Lamb; and a step-great-granddaughter, Jessica Downs-Kary.
Survivors include: two sons, Royce (Debbie) Helms and Dr. Roger (Marla) Helms, all of Smithville; three grandchildren, Alex (Brittany) Helms of Smithville, Aaron Helms of Little Rock, and Dr. Meridith (Taylor) Helms-Pack of Baton Rouge, La.; step-grandsons, Trae (Danielle) Brewer of Smithville, and Chad (Tanya) Brewer of Vilonia; great-granddaughter, Oaklynn Helms of Smithville; step-great-grandchildren, Eli and Ethan Brewer of Smithville, Piper and Emili Brewer of Wakefield, Kansas, Hanna Downs of Jonesboro, and Katie Wells of Paragould.
Visitation will be at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 24, at Smithville Baptist Church with the funeral service to follow at 2:00 p.m. and Bro. Keith Marlin will officiate. Burial will follow in Smithville Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Alex Helms, Aaron Helms, Taylor Pack, Trae Brewer, Chad Brewer, Eli Brewer and Ethan Brewer.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial gifts to the Smithville Cemetery, Smithville Community Center, or Smithville Fire Department.