Hemingway, SC

Lessie "Leona" Wilkes, 80, beloved wife of Almey "Junior" Wilkes, passed away peacefully Friday, November 5, 2021 surrounded by her family.

Born on May 5, 1941 in Georgetown County, she was the daughter of the late Richard and Edna Pope. She grew up near Hemingway and attended Pleasant Hill High School. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Hemingway. She retired from Indiantown Presbyterian Church Preschool in 2019 after over thirty years of dedicated service.

Mrs. Wilkes had a great love for gardening, cooking, her church family and her community. She was a true servant of the Lord through means of preparing and delivering meals, visiting the sick, organizing and hosting Senior Citizens gatherings, leading in Vacation Bible School, and more. Yet, more than anything, she enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren- catching fish in her pond, baking desserts, feeding the animals and harvesting vegetables from the garden.

Survivors include her husband of Hemingway; three children, Danny Wilkes of Garden City, Rodney Wilkes (Marla) of Johnsonville, and Joyce "Gail" Shelley of Myrtle Beach; six grandchildren, Matthew Wilkes (Jamie), Emily Grier (Patrick), Jared Shelley (Melinda), Eric Wilkes (Jessica), Allison Fowler (Brad), and Carson Wilkes. She had six beloved great grandchildren and a large extended family who loved her dearly.

She was preceded in death by a sister, Johnnie Marlowe.

Funeral services will be held at 3 PM Sunday, November 7, 2021 at Morris Funeral Home. Burial will follow immediately after at the Garden of Devotion Cemetery, 800 S. Georgetown Hwy., Johnsonville, SC 29555.

The family will receive friends starting at 2 PM at Morris Funeral Home Chapel, 416 N. Main St. Hemingway, SC 29554.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Indiantown Presbyterian Church Preschool Fund in her honor: 4865 Hemingway Hwy. Hemingway, SC 29544.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, please use good judgment, practice social distancing, and please wear a mask if attending.

Please sign the guest book at morris-funeralhome.com