Mrs. Juanita Byrd Hodges was born on April 17, 1931 in Candler County, Metter, Georgia to the late Mr. Wallace Byrd and the late Mrs. Ivy Mincey Byrd Dekle. She was also the proud granddaughter of Tobe Byrd and Sally Byrd, and General Mincey and Willie Mincey, all of Candler County. One of five children born to Wallace and Ivy, Juanita received her formal education at Byrd Junior School in Pulaski, Georgia, and furthered her education at Swainsboro Technical College.
She was joined in Holy Matrimony for forty-seven years to the late Mr. Cother Lee Hodges, and to this union three children were born: Percy London, Malinda, and Yvonne. She was devoted to her family and did all that she could to support and care for them. In addition to raising her children, she helped to raise her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was also a caregiver for her mother, Ivy, and her brother, Percy.
Juanita was a member of Mount Pisgah Primitive Baptist Church for over seventy years, where she was a member of various auxiliaries. Her final position of service was as Mother of the church.
She worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse at Candler County Hospital for twenty-five years, serving as a surgical room and patient care nurse, and was in charge of Central Sterile Supply. After leaving the hospital, Juanita and Cother opened Pleasant View Nursing Home in 1969, and operated Pleasant View as Long Term Care Administrators for many years. As the owner of Pleasant View, one of the things that made her most proud was the fact that she and her late husband were able to provide numerous people with employment. She often told her family, “I have had so many people to tell me that if they had not worked at the nursing home, they wouldn’t have any social security benefits. It does my heart good to know that I have helped someone.”
She and her husband were the owners of a farm, and later they opened Hodges Funeral Home in Metter. After Cother Lee’s death in 1995, Juanita continued to pray, work hard, and lead her family. She acquired two additional funeral homes, Reno Tapley Mortuary in Swainsboro, Georgia and Harper’s Funeral Home in Claxton, Georgia. Juanita also continued to acquire property, growing Hodges Farm Enterprises into a 2300 acre working farm and rental property company.
Juanita B. Hodges entered into eternal rest on December 31, 2024. She leaves the following loved ones behind to cherish many fond memories: three children: Mr. Percy L. Hodges (Eula Faye) of Metter, Georgia, Ms. Malinda White of Millen, Georgia and Ms. Yvonne Hodges of Metter, Georgia; four grandchildren: Mrs. Yvonne Copeland (Kevin) of Winston, Georgia, Mrs. Y’Lonne Hodges-Lloyd (Scott) of Metter, Georgia, Mrs. Malinda Gonzalez (Jose) of Greensboro, North Carolina and Mr. Bilal White of Metter, Georgia; seven great-grandchildren: Mr. Tres’ Copeland, Ms. Ashton Copeland, Mr. Quincy Hall, Mr. Joshua Copeland, Mr. Gabriel Hall, Mr. Cameron Gonzalez and Mr. Cayden Gonzalez; her sister, Mrs. Sallie Barnes of Killeen, Texas; a close cousin, Mr. Paul Clarke of Nashville, Tennessee; one nephew, Mr. Purcell Cason of Killeen, Texas; three special sons: Mr. Fred Mikell, Mr. Robert Lawrence, and Mr. Richard (Baby) Lawrence, all of Metter, Georgia; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
