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In the evening of April 9, 2020 Juanita Wilder died and entered into God’s presence in the eternal place prepared for her.  Her life was a living testimony of her faith in Christ.  She was born on September 3, 1932 in Brantley County to Frank and Missouri Hale who along with her eight brothers and sisters have preceded her in death.  She is also preceded in death by her first husband, Sgt. Lester Strickland, who died in a peacetime military accident involving the B-29 of which he was a flight engineer.

She is survived by her husband, The Rev. W. Raymond Wilder, Jr. whom she married in 1960 at the Hebardville Methodist Church in Waycross, Georgia and with whom she shared over 59 years of marriage.  She partnered with him to serve Christ and the church through the South Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.  She served Christ in many different capacities both in the local churches and in the Annual Conference as one of its delegates.  When they retired and moved to Magnolia Manor in 1991, she immediately continued that service.  She served on the Salvation Army Board, managed the Manor Mall, raised over $300,000 for Magnolia Manor, and was in 2011 awarded the Thomas O. Marshall, Jr. Good Samaritan Award by her church, the First United Methodist Church of Americus.

She is also survived by her two children,  Bill Strickland, a retired United Methodist pastor and his wife Lynn of Portal, Georgia, her daughter, Annita Edgar and her husband, David, also a retired United Methodist pastor, of Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas, four grandchildren, six great grandchildren, and her sister-in-law, Charlene Carl and her husband, Richard.  Her love and spirit provided much care for each of these through the years of her life.

As she is remembered by family and friends, she is remembered as a woman of deep faith and a tenacious determination to get things done.  She was one of those who lived with a servant’s heart and has touched the lives of many whose names she never knew.  When she received the Good Samaritan Award she said, “God has blessed me, and I want to share this blessing and goodness with others.”  From the beginning of her life to the end, she was faithful to this core commitment of her life.

While it is impossible to have any kind of formal memorial service at this time, a service of remembrance and celebration will be announced when the time is appropriate.  In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to a ministry for which she had great passion, the League of the Good Samaritan at Magnolia Manor.

To sign the online guest book and share your condolences with the family visit aldridgefuneralservices.com

Aldridge Funeral Services 612 Rees Park is in charge of these arrangements.