I have lived and traveled around the country. I may not know a lot of things, but I have often told anyone who would listen that there is nothing like a West Virginia mom.
There is something special about the sacrificial love given by West Virginia mothers. Here are some sports-related West Virginia moms who deserve special recognition on Mother's Day.
n Susan Williams Helmer: West Virginia Moms come from everywhere. This West Virginia mom came from rural Gilmer County and was the youngest of 10 children. She grew up to be a track star at Gilmer County High School and earn a scholarship to Marshall. She married a Marshall baseball player and had a son who played there. This West Virginia mom was a driven student and is also now a nurse anesthetist.
n Cecilia Hurt: This West Virginia mom is the mother of one of the winningest athletes in state high school history. She is the mother of former Charleston High quarterback Rickie Hurt, who won three consecutive state football championships [1968-70]. She was a mother to all the children who grew up in Washington Manor. Hurt's childhood friend, Levi Phillips, remembers this: "She wanted all the kids in the development to go to church. If you went to church on Sunday morning and brought her the bulletin, she would fix you fried chicken. You did not want to miss her fried chicken, so all of us kids went to Sunday school. She didn't want any of the kids going down the wrong path. If she saw a bully trying to intimidate someone, she would chase them off." West Virginia Moms will fight to protect the young.
n Krickett Likens: This Lincoln County mom is the mother of an up-and-coming young football coach. The Guyan Valley grad looks like a cheerleader coach, but she is actually a former deputy aheriff. She is tiny and petite, but she could be packin' heat and she knows how to use it. Don't question her son's play-calling and don't mess with West Virginia Moms.
n Patty Redman: West Virginia moms are also patriotic. Her husband was a soldier and her sons are soldiers. The men in her family served in the Persian Gulf War and have done multiple tours in the Middle East. All were outstanding athletes. One son, Andy, played in two state championship football games, while another son, Dustin, was a basketball standout at Riverside. These men served our country, while their mothers served them.
n Tamie Ryan: The wife of sports collector and former DuPont High football lineman Rob Ryan, this West Virginia mom is a true "soccer" mom. Her son, Alex, went on to play four years of soccer at Concord. As he was growing up, this West Virginia mom followed him on the travel circuit from New Jersey to Maine to Florida and all points in between. She logged many miles, packed many a lunch, and fetched many a cold drink. West Virginia moms love their babies. If they are playing, momma is going to be there. She and her husband could make the drive to Athens in their sleep.
n Marilyn Parsons Walker: A lifelong resident of Charleston's west side, she has spent her life around high school and college athletics. Her son Mike Parsons was a valuable athletic administrator at WVU for over 30 years. Her first husband, Bob, was an all-state football and baseball player at Stonewall Jackson in the early 1950s .Two of her grandchildren played collegiate sports. This West Virginia mom has spent a lot of time tailgating in Morgantown and traveling to WVU bowl games, where she was a babysitter for the grandchildren while the parents worked.
n Pat Woodrum: She graduated from the now-gone Elkview High School but has made her legacy through four sons in Putnam and Cabell counties. Her four sons - Joe Jr. (Woody), Bob, Jim and Bill - were all involved as valued managers with the football programs at Winfield High School and Marshall. Their contributions to those programs are impossible to truly measure. Between Winfield and Marshall, Pat has helped sew more green jersies than anyone can imagine.
West Virginia moms produce great sons and their boys make big impacts on their communities.