Helga Luise Bayer Clark, 82, of South Shore KY, passed away on January 21, 2025, at the University of Kentucky Medical Center. She was born on April 8, 1942, to Albrecht and Magdalena Lang Bayer in Munich, Germany.
She is survived by three daughters, Gabriele Lillie (Charles) Leach of Talcott, WV; Oneda (Bryan) Lambert of Berry KY; and Rhonda Clark, of Lexington, KY; Grandchildren, Samantha Lambert of Cynthiana, KY, Joshua Lambert of Berry, KY, and Kimberly Lambert (Elijah Reffett) of Cynthiana, KY; and one great-granddaughter, Sutton Reffett. One brother, Rudy (Elli) Lang, one sister, Ingrid (Udo) Reit; both of Munich Germany, and several nieces and nephews, in Kentucky, California and Munich Germany.
Preceded in death by her parents, and her sister Anneliese Brigitta Hildegard Bayer of Hayward, California.
Helga married Ronald W Clark from South Shore, KY in Munich Germany, and later moved to the United States in 1965.
Helga was educated in Germany and worked in a Munich hospital until she moved to the United States. She proudly received her US citizenship in February 1979. She worked in a bread factory in Portsmouth, the Brickyard in South Shore, Kentucky Ohio Transportation (KOT) coal loading facility in Siloam, KY, and finally at Norfolk & Southern Railroad in Portsmouth, OH, where she was a brakeman, then a conductor and retired as an engineer. She was one of very few women working in the male dominated workforce in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Helga’s work ethic was exemplified by her strength, commitment, and hard work. She had a spine of steel. She would drive trains to upper Sandusky, OH, Lake Division and back mainly, until she retired. She was one of very few women working at N&S. She was the epitome of “A woman is expected to work twice as hard as a man to be thought half as good”. She was well respected by her peers and people in the community.
Helga’s priority was to encourage her daughters to appreciate the value of an education. She wanted her girls to be independent and successful and was very proud all three girls received degrees from Eastern Kentucky University. Her legacy will be that her love and work ethic, were the foundation that made her daughters strong and hardworking.
Helga loved birds, and she fed them year-round. Two fond memories are watching the dozens of hummingbirds come to her feeders, the red cardinals, and yellow finches, and also sitting on the swing on the front porch at dark and hearing the whippoorwills sing their song! We ask that residents of Schultz Creek please continue to feed their birds; they surely will miss Helga’s buffet!
Helga loved UK Basketball, loved to watch tennis tournaments on TV, especially the US Open, figure skating, and gymnastics, especially during the Olympics. She would text her girls when they came on so they wouldn’t miss it. There was nothing that made her happier than spending time with her grandchildren, and most recently her great-granddaughter Sutton.
Helga loved books and instilled that love of reading in her girls. Travel to the public library was difficult, but the bookmobile provided access to our favorite books and magazines.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Greenup County Library BOOKMOBILE program. 508 Main Street, Greenup KY 41144
A Celebration of Life will be held at 1 P.M. Saturday, February 1, 2025, at Morton-Hunt Family Funeral Home, 311 James Hannah Drive, South Shore, KY., with Kenny Fox officiating. Visitation for family and friends will be on Saturday at the funeral home from 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.
