Helen McClellan, 94, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Friday, June 27. She was born in Houston County, Alabama, on June 12, 1931, the daughter of Samuel Preston Odom and Lessie Hutto Odom. She grew up in Malone, Florida, and Enterprise, Alabama, where she graduated from Coffee County High School in 1949.

She married John Frank McClellan, Sr., on June 14, 1951. She attended Troy State Teacher's College and graduated from Berry College. She later earned a master's degree from West Georgia. Between 1951 and 1969, the family lived in Enterprise, Elba and Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Slidell, Louisiana; Sanford and Roxboro, North Carolina; and Calhoun, Georgia, before settling in Bremen in 1969. She was very active in church life in each of the towns she lived teaching Sunday School, Vacation Bible School while also participating in WMU and numerous church committees. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Bremen for 55 years and was an active member of the Ladies' Bible Class.

She taught in the Bremen City School System for 21 years. She was the debate coach and director of the literary program for 20 years and taught gifted education. Her debate teams won the region championship for 16 consecutive years, finishing second in the state twice and reaching the semi-finals eight other times. Under her direction, Bremen won four state literary titles. In 1975, Bremen was awarded permanent membership in the prestigious Barkley Forum which recognizes the best high school debate programs in the United States. Bremen was the smallest public school to ever receive this honor. In 2004, she was inducted into the Georgia Forensic Coaches Hall of Fame. Named in her honor, the Helen McClellan School of Excellence award was given to the school in Georgia with less than 600 students who qualified the most students for participation in the state finals. She started the Georgia Studycade, a trip for eighth grade students to experience Georgia history at various sites around the state. That program was later named for her.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John; her parents, and four siblings – Cecil Odom, Elaine Odom Newman, Alex (Buddy) Odom and Gail Odom. She is survived by her three children: John Frank McClellan, Jr. (Susan) of Rome, Georgia; Melanie Ann McClellan of Carrollton; and Mark Preston McClellan (Deirdre) of Memphis, Tennessee. She has four grandchildren – Kevin McClellan (Dana) of Sharpsburg, Georgia; Karen Fox (Jeff) of Winterville, Georgia; Kyle McClellan (Caroline) of Greer, South Carolina; and Preston McClellan of Jacksonville Beach, Florida. She is also survived by five great grandchildren.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Tuesday, July 1, 2025 from 5 – 8 pm. Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 at The First Baptist Church of Bremen at 11 am with Dr. Hunter Roe and Mayor Sharron Sewell officiating. Donnie Arp, Cliff Coats, Richard Barrett, Tommy Rainey, Jim Watts, Jerry Stanford, John Stanford, Dennis McBrayer, and Eddie Hulsey will all serve as pallbearers.

Interment will follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Bremen Educational Foundation – John McClellan Scholarship or the First Baptist Church of Bremen.