Phoebe Helms Stewart

Ms. Phoebe Helms Stewart, age 83, of Toombs County, passed away Tuesday, September 2, 2025, at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, following a brief illness. She was born in Vidalia on the Fourth of July being delivered by a midwife in 1942 and lived in Toombs County the majority of her life. She was a bookkeeper by trade and worked for several companies providing for her children before retiring from Patriot Gas Company. Sister Phoebe has served with many Southern Gospel singing groups and played the piano at numerous churches through her lifetime; Providence Missionary Baptist Church is where she ended her serving due to a decline in her health. She loved her church and church family and missed playing and singing. Ms. Phoebe had a special anointing when it came to the piano. She played from age eleven, totaling 72 years tickling the ivories. She enjoyed cooking "With Much LOVE" chicken & dumplings and is the only one who has successfully created "Mema's Strawberry Cake". Most notable hobbies were shopping for a new outfit starting with another pair of shoes and working upward from there, listening to southern gospel music, playing dice and spending time with family.

Ms. Phoebe was preceded in death by her husband, Bobby Stewart; two sons, John H. Cook III and Graham Marcus Cook; her loving grandson, Kaleb D'Wyette Ray; her mother, Edna Ridgon Blount; father, Judge Helms; one sister, Mary Edwards; two brothers, Guy Blount and Wayne Blount.

Ms. Phoebe is survived by two sons, Bobby Scott Hicks of Jackson and Jimmy Hicks (Callie) of Stockbridge; four daughters, Rhonda Reese of McDonough, Cathi Cook (Ronnie Kirkland) of Townsend, Leslie Ray (Ken) of Lyons, and Jackie Murray (Bo) of Savannah; two brothers, Bill Blount (Kathy) of Vidalia and Kenny Blount (Vanessa) of Waverly; three sisters, Pam Blount, Charlene Calhoun (Marion) all of Soperton, and Kathy Walls (Terry) of Enterprise, Alabama; nineteen grandchildren; and twenty-seven great-grandchildren.

The family will receive friends Friday evening at the funeral home from 6:00 until 8:00.

The funeral service will be held Saturday, September 6th at 11:00 am in the chapel of Wilkes Funeral Home with Pastor Robert Ferrell officiating. Burial will follow at 4:00 pm at Bethany Church of Ellabell, 3279 GA Hwy 204, Ellabell, GA 31308.

The arrangements have been entrusted to Wilkes Funeral Home of Vidalia.