UTICA — Helen Elizabeth “Muh” Tompkins Ford, 91, died at her residence in Utica on Friday, Nov. 30, 2012, after a brief illness.

Mrs. Ford was born on Sept. 3, 1921.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 70 years, Elvin Wilson “Rabb” Ford; her parents, John and Lula Tompkins; children, Joy “Sissy” Farmer, Lena “Dago” Lott and Robert E. “Buddy” Ford; grandchildren, Haley Carraway, Don David Russell, Tina Carraway Blue and Rusty Fowler; and siblings, brothers: John, Frank, Calhoun, Neal and Earl Tompkins and sisters: Pauline Tompkins, Ada Lou Hall, Lillian Puckett and Marie Hubbard.

Survivors include her children, Marianne “Nan” Russell of Brandon, Eloise and Lamar Cook of Utica, Ray and Jan Ford of Gallman and Jeff and Karin Ford of Eureka Springs, Ark.; 18 grandchildren; 48 great grandchildren; 17 great-great grandchildren; and sister, Nell Tompkins Little.

Helen was a lifelong resident of Hinds County and an avid crafter, cook and doll collector. She was a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother and a devoted Christian.

Helen ran the Utica school cafeteria for many years, worked at Magna America alongside a number of her children, ran her own craft shop in downtown Utica and spent her glory years alongside her husband until his death in 2007.

Helen told everyone she met to call her Muh and she meant it. Her “family” extended to many others than the ones listed, as she had a special way of touching lives and making you feel at home in her presence. Muh never had a mean word to say to or about anyone. She was known for working the daily crossword puzzle in ink, her Sunday dinners that could feed an army and watching way more sports than she cared to with her husband, without complaint.

The family extends a special thanks to her caregivers and the staffs of Gentiva Home Healthcare of Vicksburg and Deaconess Hospice of Brookhaven, who cared for her in the final days.

Services will be Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Glenwood Chapel in Utica. Burial will follow at Utica Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 until 8 tonight at Glenwood Funeral Home in Utica.

Memorials are requested to the Utica Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 129, Utica, MS 39175.