Christine May of Newberry passed away in Gainesville, Florida on July 11, 2018 at the age of 100, just 30 days shy of her 101th birthday, due to incidents of age. Born in Warren County, Kentucky to Fred and Lula Helton, she grew up as a “country girl”, engaging in all the aspects of living on a real farm with her 4 sisters and helping her parents with tobacco growing and farm life. Christine was an exceptional seamstress. She learned handwork like knitting and crocheting from her mother. Later, while living in Williamsburg, Virginia, she became the “head seamstress” for the Williamsburg Colonies. She made military uniforms and dresses for the numerous “re-enactors” who worked in the Williamsburg “community” for the tourist’s season. After moving to Newberry, she became somewhat a “fitness fiend” and delighted in going to the Gainesville Health and Fitness Center for women. At 97 years old, she used the Center’s workout equipment three times a week and would walk 3 miles a day. Her favorite pastimes were making clothes for her family and continuing to knit and crochet, creating vast amounts of afghans, table toppers and furniture covers for family and friends. She also was an accomplished oil painter, producing many beautiful reproductions of flowers and birds, her favorite subjects. Christine was a devout Christian and enjoyed doing volunteer work and especially enjoyed being a worker at the Newberry Methodist Church helping with the “Harvest” held there twice a week. She is preceded in death by her husband, William M. May, her parents and four sisters, Oma Cooper, Mary Jane Bryson, Muriel Cherry and Pauline Cowles (all from Kentucky). She is survived by son, Gene May (Elaine), her grandchildren, William May and Sasha (Charles) Garvey, along with her one adored great-grandchild, Katelyn, nieces and nephews from Kentucky are: Morris Bryson, Maxey Bryson, Therese Moore, Linda Coe, Larry Cowles and Donnie Ray Cowles.
