North Augusta, SC---Mrs. Juanita Cartrett Whitfield, 98, entered into rest on Wednesday, September 8, 2010 at University Hospital.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am, tomorrow Saturday, September 11, 2010 at Crawford Avenue Baptist Church, with Reverend Brian LaFavor officiating. Interment will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Park.
Mrs. Whitfield was born June 3, 1912 in Toombs County, Georgia, daughter of Mary and John Cartrett. She had ten brothers and sisters. She was a graduate of Alston High School in Montgomery County, Georgia in 1930. She married that same year to her husband of 64 years, Eddie P. Whitfield. In 1939 they moved to Augusta. They lived on Pearl Ave., across from Chaffee Park. That same year she joined Crawford Avenue Baptist Church where she has been a member for seventy-one years. There, she taught Nursery and Sunday School, until 1999.
In 1943, she went to work at the West End Y Nursery Schoo,l on the corner of Broad Street and Pearl Avenue, where her legacy began that will be remembered, by many many people, as a person that has true compassion and love for everyone, especially children. In 1949 she went to work for Augusta Recreation Department as a Park Supervisor, at Chaffee Park and later at Stewart Walker Park. In the early 50’s, she moved to Allen Park, on Walton Way. As a Park Supervisor, she became a friend, mentor, playmate, leader and in many cases a Mother figure, to countless children and young adults. Most of these children were from the “Harrisburg” and “Frog Hollow” sections of Augusta. She has always referred to most of them, as “Her Children”. They all felt about her in a special way of love and peace.
The last few years before retiring in 1979, she operated the Recreation Department’s ceramic shop on Merry Street, where she taught the art of ceramics and china painting and was very accomplished in china painting herself. During the thirty years she worked with the recreation dept. Mrs. Whitfield received many awards, certificates and recognitions, at the city and state level, for her achievements and accomplishments, one of which was the “Giving Your Best Award” given by a local television station.
Mrs. Whitfield’s longevity can truly be attributed to her unquestionable love of her Lord, family, flowers, birds and especially children. She will be missed by many people and “Her Children” will be at the top of the list.
Mrs. Whitfield was preceded in death by her husband, Eddie P. Whitfield, daughter, Mary Eleanor Anderson and son, Wayne Russell Whitfield.
She is survived by one sister, Irene Kennedy of Charlotte, NC, one son, Duane A. Whitfield (Rita) of North Augusta, SC., also seven grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren, and three great great grandchildren.
The family will receive friends, this evening Friday, September 10, 2010, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Platt’s Crawford Avenue.
Pallbearers will be Mark Whitfield, Scott Whitfield, Brad Whitfield, Duane Whitfield II, Jamie Whitfield and Billy Marshall.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Crawford Avenue Baptist Church, 507 Crawford Avenue, Augusta, Georgia 30904.