Pastor Helen Marie Caldwell Dukes, was born October 05, 1942, in Gulfport, Mississippi, to the late Augustine and Albert Caldwell. She was the fourth of thirteen children and their first daughter. She accepted Christ at an early age and became a faithful and active member of Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church, Gulfport, Mississippi. She enjoyed singing in the choir and participating in various activities in the church.

Pastor Dukes attended Turkey Creek Consolidate School in Gulfport, Mississippi, from the 1st through the 11th grade. In 1960, she began her senior year at the newly constructed North Gulfport High School. She graduated in the top 10 of her class in 1961 and attended Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, from 1961-1966, where received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Studies. Pastor Dukes did post-graduate work at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In 1966, she began her full-time teaching career in Gadsen County, Florida. She taught there for four years. In 1971, she moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and it was there that she met her future husband, Pastor Samuel Dukes. Their 28 year marriage was blessed with five children: Don, Darlene, Dean, Dion, and Darren.

Pastor Dukes was ordained, January 2000. In the same year she assumed the pastorship of New Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church, Pompano Beach, Florida. During this tenure she was actively involved in youth-related programs with the Broward County Sheriff Department.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Augustine and Albert Caldwell and six siblings, Wilbert Caldwell, Ernest Caldwell, Catherine Watson, Carol Caldwell, Anita Caldwell, and Stephen Caldwell.

She leaves to mourn, her five children; Don (Ilyana) Dukes, Thousand Oaks, California; Darlene (Tommy) Henderson, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Dean Dukes, Orlando, Florida, Dion (Danielle) Dukes, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Darren Dukes of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; six siblings, Arthur (Chiao) Caldwell, El Paso, Texas, Paul Caldwell, Eleven Caldwell, Gayle Abrams, Margaret Caldwell, and Maris Fells all of Gulfport; 13 grandchildren, Tonyona, Derianne, Sundiata, Sanaa, Makeda, Nandi, Ya'el, Pharoah, Amiyah, Shatia, Floyd, Malasia, Tahjae, ; six great-grandchildren, and one goddaughter, LaTora West.
A special thanks to the following caregivers; Tonyona, Derianne, Angel, and LaTora for their unselfish acts of love.