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Wilma Anne Jefferson, a devoted wife, loving mother, and treasured friend, passed away peacefully on July 17, 2025, at the age of 90. Her gentle spirit, unwavering faith, and deep love for her family will be remembered always. Born on March 14, 1935, in Tazewell County, Virginia, Wilma was the daughter of Anna Hite Largen and William McKinley Largen. She graduated from Hillsville High School and soon after moved to North Carolina, where she began working at the Hanes Hosiery Weeks Plant. Shortly after moving to Pilot Mount, Wilma met her future husband - Robert Bob) Jefferson. Wilma and Bob married in February1960 and settled in Winston-Salem. They shared 63 years as constant companions until Bob's death in 2023. In addition to being a doting wife and mother, Wilma worked at Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools as a teachers aid and later as a copy marker at Hunter Publishing Company. Wilma was an active member of St. Leo the Great Catholic Church, where she served faithfully as a Eucharistic minister, taught CCD classes, and sang in the choir. When she and Bob retired to Murrells Inlet, she became a regular fixture at St. Michael's 11:00 Mass. She was deeply devout and exhibited her faith in every action and encounter.. Wilma spent her days reading, exercising, walking on the beach, and most of all, cherishing time with her family. Her annual Christmas door prize giveaway was a treasured tradition and will be continued in her honor. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Robert Jefferson; her parents; and her brothers, Robert and William. Wilma is survived by her two children Rebecca Bender (Kevin) and Angela Costello (James); seven grandchildren, Jennifer Moser (Joshua Kuprion), Stephanie Moser (Eric Hill), Kelly Cooper (Paddy), Mallie Holcomb, Sydney Holcomb, Drew Bender, and Cami Bender; six great-grandchildren, Nora and Dean Kuprion, Eleanor and Benjamin Hill, Niamh and Finn Cooper; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Wilma leaves behind a legacy of kindness, strength, and devotion. Her love of life, sense of humor, and timeless stories will be dearly missed by all who knew her. Heartfelt thank you to the staff at Palmetto's Assisted Living Facility who cared for Wilma for the past several years, and special friend Helen Brennan. A Mass of Christian Burla for Wilma Jefferson will be held at 2:00 PM, on Friday, October 17, 2025, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Murrells Inlet with inurnment to follow in the church columbarium. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Brook Green Gardens or St. Michael's Catholic Church.

Tributes

Wilma Anne Jefferson

March 14, 1935 - July 17, 2025