Elizabeth Heilig

Elizabeth “Liz” Lennon Heilig, age 92, was born to Charlie H. and Ellen Bebe Lennon at their home in Evergreen, NC by a mid-wife on October 11, 1929. Liz’s birth was not recorded with Roberson County until October 13, 1929. Liz was the youngest of nine siblings. Liz departed her earthly body after a short illness at Friendship Village Rehabilitation Center in Dayton, OH on June 10, 2022. Liz spent her formative years in Evergreen completing high school at Mt. Olive Negro High School, Whiteville, NC, in 1948. Elizabeth surrenders her life to the Lord at a very early age at Horace Grove Baptist Church in Boardman, NC. She completed her undergraduate studies at North Carolina A & T State University in 1952, where she received a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree. It was there at A & T that she met the love of her life, Norman R. Heilig, Sr., from Kimball, WV. On November 26, 1955, they married and two children were born from this union, Norman Rudolph, Jr. and Valerie Elizabeth. Liz and Norman were married 65 years prior to Norm’s death in 2020. After graduating from A & T, Liz taught high school at Tabor City School District in NC while Norman spent two years in the army. After relocating to Columbus, OH in 1955, she began her professional career in federal government as a Procurement Clerk with 52 Starling, Fort Hayes and retiring from DCSC in 1990 with 30 years of service. She also joined St. Mark Baptist Church in Hanford Village and later moved her membership to Bethany Baptist Church on March 30, 1986 on her Christian experience. She was a faithful member, Deaconess Emeritus and appointed Mother of the Church in 2015. Liz loved talking on the phone to family and friends discussing her favorite television news shows, MSNBC and CNN. Liz was a good listener, full of wisdom, and giving those she loved good advice. Liz is preceded in death by her parent Charlie and Ellen, husband Norman Sr., son Norman Jr., great-granddaughter Mireya L. Perkins, son-in-law James Michael Henderson and her eight siblings. She leaves to cherish her memory, her daughter Valerie Henderson of Dayton, OH, granddaughters, Ryan Lindsey (Michael) Perkins of Columbus, Michelle Elizabeth Henderson of Wilder, KY, Valencia Nicole Henderson of Columbus, grandson Norman R. III of Columbus, great grandson Alexander M. Perkins of Columbus, sister-in-law Pearl Heilig of Saginaw, MI, special nieces Saundra Holland and Natalie Davis of Columbus, Paula Mays of Montgomery, AL, Crystal Murphy of Bluffton, SC, Crystal Howard of Dayton, OH. Special nephew Derek Allen of Dayton, OH, long time college friend Gloria Jones of Maryland and a host of nieces, nephews, family and friends.