-
Helen Cable Vance at the Cable Cemetery Decoration 2015.
Jessica Webb
editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com
Helen Cable Vance was born in Proctor, Swain County on November 28, 1926. The memory of her childhood community that was one of many lost to the creation of Fontana Dam was one she always held dear and shared with others throughout her long lifetime. She died on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, 2022 just days before her 96th birthday. Funeral services were held on Sunday, Nov. 27.
The story of the North Shore communities that once thrived in the early 1900s but are now under water or out of reach is one many more know because of Helen Vance.
With her sister Mildred, she was a cofounder of North Shore Cemetery Association, a nonprofit group found in 1977 to gain access to the cemeteries of the North Shore.
The association negotiated with the National Park Service for annual access to the cemeteries as well as annual maintenance. The organization continues to lead cemetery decorations every year across the lake to more than 20 cemeteries in partnership with NPS, and Helen was often among them even in her 90s.
Helen Vance was a staunch advocate at the center and continued to be a voice for not only the memories of this place and its people but also for the right to continue to honor this shared history. She lived in Hazel Creek until 1944, when at about 18 years old, she was one of several hundred people relocated from their communities when the Fontana Dam was created and areas were flooded by the lake.
She also helped found the Jackson and Swain County genealogical societies. She served as the co-president of the North Shore Cemetery Association.
Dana Soehn, management assistant and public affairs officer with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, had the following to share about Helen. “Helen's successful, steadfast determination to secure annual access for descendants to visit family cemeteries has resulted in a lasting legacy,” she said by email. “I'm grateful for the time she invested in sharing her memories with me. It helped me gain an even richer appreciation for the sacrifice so many families made in giving up their homes, communities, and way of life so that we could have this crown jewel national park. I have greater understanding and am a better National Park Service employee because of Helen.”
She also shared the news of Helen’s passing with the staff at GSMNP. One thing she noted was the grace of the two sisters.
“The annual 'Decoration Days' generally include a potluck lunch and a service. Helen and Mildred started the tradition of not letting any of the descendants go through the food line until the park staff went first and were thanked. Each time I spoke with her, she expressed her deep appreciation for the hard work our staff does to honor the memory of park families,” Soehn wrote.
She was committed, and yet patient and happy to share her story. Henry Chambers, with NSCA, said this about her.
“Helen was the picture of grace,” he said. “She once told me to temper everything with love and I asked her how we best needed to deal with some of the 'difficult'.........her answer was still with love, but tough love. you grabbed them by the arm or the ear and you dragged them along.”
Helen was married to a Baptist minister, Rev. Harry David Vance, who preceded her in death. They lived in several communities doing God’s work. She also spent time teaching, but her lasting legacy is in sharing the story of the North Shore.
Helen Vance was interviewed by regional, state and national outlets including ABC, NBC and CBS and featured in Our State Magazine, Oxford America and Smokies Life Magazine.
She traveled to Washington, D.C. and testified at four Senate hearings and spoke with many leaders on the national stage on behalf of the association.
She is survived by her daughter and son and several grandchildren, her sisters and also several nieces and nephews.