Mildred Wilson, 86

Mrs. Mildred H. Wilson, 86, of Swainsboro, passed away Friday, September 27, 2024, at The Oaks – Bethany in Vidalia following an extended illness. Funeral services were held Sunday, October 6, at 3 p.m. at Mt. Shady Baptist Church with Reverend Rusty Moore officiating. Interment followed at Eastbrook Cemetery and Mausoleum. The family received friends Saturday, October 5, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Chapman Funeral Home.

Pallbearers were Derrick Wilson, Michael Wilson, Cody Hopkins, Matt Murry, Shawn Hooks, and Jeremy Parrish.

Mildred was born July 22, 1938, in Swainsboro, to the late Robert Henry and Marie Hadden Henry.

Momma was a God-fearing woman. She did not believe in doing anything on Sundays except rest and going to church. She might fix a bite to eat on Sunday but that was the extent of it. She always made sure that we were dressed appropriately for church, dress, pantyhose and if it was cold we wore a shawl. She was a simple woman. She loved working in her flowers and could grow anything. She had a huge green thumb when it came to her flowers. I can remember in the evenings after she got off work from Miami-Carey and we had supper, she would go in the yard and water her flowers or repot some. This is the time that momma seemed to be at her most peaceful. Momma also enjoyed sewing, crocheting, and painting. She did some beautiful paintings, but she also would make our clothes when we were small. She would crochet blankets, and I think every one of us has something that she crocheted. She would do a beautiful stitch on dollies, tablecloths, and pillowcases.

Momma was a simple woman but a very talented woman. One thing Momma didn’t tolerate was being sassed back at. Believe me she would pop the fire out of you. Being it mouth, arm, back…didn’t matter to momma if you talked back. One pop and you did not do it anymore. Now let us talk about what momma didn’t like to do. COOK for somebody that could cook as good as she could, she didn’t want to. She could cook some of the best cakes and pies, and oh my goodness, her turkey and dressing at Thanksgiving and Christmas was the best. She could make one of the very best fruitcakes I’ve ever had. I have never tasted another one like momma’s and never will.

There is one thing that momma did that she never quit doing and that was pray for her family. She would write prayers in notebooks or her Bible or whatever she had on hand at the time. She believed in the power of prayer. She would mention each one of us by name in her prayers. After we were all grown with families of our own, momma started giving us porcelain angels for Christmas, each family received an angel. It was a few years later that one of us found out that she had written prayers and put them up in the bottom of the angels. I cried the day I found my first one, it was a sign of a momma’s love. In the early eighties momma received her GED and went on to cosmetology school. Once finished she opened a shop in the back of our house called Mildred’s Cuts and Perms. Now let me tell you when momma put you in a perm, she meant for it to stay. She would roll those curlers so tight that your eyebrows would be at the top of your forehead and the corners of your eyes would be pulled closer to your ears. Your head would be sore for a few days, but that perm stayed for a long, long time.

Momma and Daddy were married 56 years when daddy died. Momma never spent another night in their house. The one they built together and raised all of us in. She never cared to go back. It wasn’t but a few years later that momma was diagnosed with dementia. We saw a side of our momma that was shocking. Little by little it whittled away at her until it finally consumed her. I don’t think she ever lost the ability to know who we were, but it changed our momma. She was not the woman who raised us. Now Momma is walking those streets of gold, there is no doubt in any of our minds that our momma is in heaven. Oh, but I would have loved to see my daddy’s face when she entered those gates. Rest in peace our dear sweet momma, your race is done, and you can rest now. We will be ok down here, but you and daddy can keep an eye on us. If we need to be popped sometimes go ahead, it will let us know ya’ll are still watching over us. Love you momma!! Mrs. Wilson is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Grable Wilson; sister, Marcelle Sapp; and brother, Grady Henry.

Mrs. Wilson is survived by her son, Larry Wilson (Debbie) of Swainsboro; daughters, Ellen Akridge (Charles) and Susan Hopkins (Dennis), both of Swainsboro; brothers, Colon Henry (Jean) and Robert Henry, Jr., both of Swainsboro; sisters, Lucy Edenfield of Swainsboro and Ann Akridge (Garland), both of Stillmore; nine grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; one great-great grandson; several nieces, nephews and many friends.

Chapman Funeral Home of Swainsboro was in charge of arrangements.