Wilma Ann (Mims) Newton, known to family and friends as Ann, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, September 9, 2024, surrounded by her loving family. Born in Alabama on April 18, 1937, Ann lived a life filled with love…for her family, for her church, for her friends, and most of all for her Savior.

After spending her early years in Alabama, Ann’s family moved to Sanford Florida, where she graduated from Seminole High School – the same high school all of her sons would eventually attend. After graduation, Ann worked at a local bank, at which time she met a handsome young sailor named Gene. It wasn’t long before sparks were flying, and they were married on February 24, 1959. With a husband in the armed services, Ann’s travels began almost immediately, with the two of them moving across the country to Oxnard, California shortly after the wedding. With stops in Sanford, Florida; Biloxi, Mississippi; Aiken, South Carolina; and Dallas, Texas, Ann & Gene eventually landed with their little family in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where they lived for twelve years and raised four boys. We always joked that she would go “straight to heaven” one day having survived four mischievous boys, and we are confident that this prediction has finally come to pass. Several harsh winters and the draw of warmer weather and family brought Ann, Gene, and boys back to Sanford, Florida in 1977. While three of the boys went on to live in other states, Ann & Gene have lived in Florida (Sanford and Tavares) ever since.

One thing that her family and friends know is that Ann was absolutely hilarious. She had such a great sense of humor that you never knew when she was going to say something that would send the room into uncontrollable laughter. One that sticks out in our minds the most is a game of Trivial Pursuit in which the question was “What do you call a castrated bull?” The correct answer – “a steer.” Ann’s answer – “miserable!” Her jokes and her stories will be cherished.

What did Ann love besides her family? She loved singing – especially hymns. Some of her favorites were “All the Way My Savior Leads Me,” “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” and “When All of God’s Singers Get Home.” When she wasn’t singing hymns, she was listening to them – usually the Gaither Vocal Band. She also used to enjoy singing with her three sisters. It makes us smile to think of her singing in heaven – maybe even with her sisters.

Ann is survived by her husband Gene, her four boys and their wives: Mark and Jennifer, Dale and Kimberlee, Jeff and Kim, and Glenn and Regina, as well as ten grandchildren: Meghan, Justin, Taylor, Emily, Jordan, Tyler, Kasey, Hunter, Curtis, and Seth and their spouses, and one great granddaughter: Elizabeth. This is a family that truly loves one another – a love that was instilled in them by Ann and Gene from the beginning. Do we always see eye-to-eye? Absolutely not. Do we always love one another? Absolutely…unconditionally…without a doubt!

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