Violet "Vi" (Whitaker) (Ford) Wilkerson

Graveside services for Violet "Vi" Wilkerson, 90, of Portales will be at 2:00 PM, Fri., April 17, 2020 in the Portales Cemetery with Rev. Steve Smith officiating.  Due to the current Social Distancing directives, we respectfully ask that you attend by live stream on our website at wheelermortuary.net.  Those desiring to make memorial contributions may send them to the University Baptist Church, P O Box 188, Portales; NM, the Alzheimer's Association, 9500 Montgomery NE, Albuquerque, NM 87111; or the Gideons Internation, P O Box 1022, Portales, NM 88130.

Violet J. Wilkerson was born Feb. 23, 1930 in Emzy, NM to the home of Frances E. (McGaha) and Etherage O. Whitaker, and died early Friday morning, April 10, 2020 in Portales.

Violet or "Vi" as she was known to many attended school in Rogers, NM where she graduated from high school in 1948.  She went on to attend Eastern New Mexico University.  Vi was married to Luther Edwin Ford on Aug. 28, 1959.  Mr. Ford preceded her in death on Nov. 12, 1979.  On June 22, 1990 in Mesquite, TX, she was married to James E. Wilkerson.  They enjoyed nearly 18 years of marriage before his death on Mar. 15, 2008.  For many years, Vi was employed as a Job Placement Interviewer for the New Mexico Employment Security Commission.

Mrs. Wilkerson was a very active member of the University Baptist Church where she served as a Sunday School teacher for many years.  Following her retirement, she taught Vacation Bible Schools throughout the state of New Mexico.  She also served on the ASSIST Team training Sunday School teachers for several years.  All of her life she remained as a faithful servant to her Lord, teaching and training others.

She is survived by a number of nieces and nephews; a step-son, James E. Wilkerson, Jr and his wife, Lois; a step-daughter, Susan Wilkerson May and her husband, Charles; three step-grandchildren, Eddie (Carrie) Wilkerson, Christy (Michael) Perry and Jenifer (Mack) McCullough; and 6 step-great-grandchildren, Mark, Emily, Cattie and Lily Wilkerson and Joshua Perry and Declan McCullough; and her grandchildren-in-love, Jeremy and Ami Smith and Timothy Smith, along with two great-grandchildren-in-love, Lincoln and Kaylee Smith.  Besides her two husbands, she was preceded in death by her parents, a brother, J. L. Whitaker and three sisters, Mary Lou King, Fannie Bell Carr and Annell Fullerton.

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