EMORY M. WILSON's Obituary
PERRY, GA –
Emory Moland Wilson went to be with the Lord on January 18, 2024. Funeral Services will be held on Sunday, January 28, 2024, at 3:00 p. m. at First Baptist Church of Perry. The family will visit with friends one hour before the service, from 2:00 until 3:00 p.m. Burial service will be private. Contributions in memory of Emory may be made to First Baptist Church of Perry, 1105 Main Street, Perry GA 31069.
Emory was born in Fort Valley, Georgia, to the late Christine Sheets Wilson and the late Wayne Davis Wilson. He was also blessed with a stepfather, the late Dr. G. N. Perdue, after his father’s death. Once he graduated from Fort Valley High School in 1946, Emory joined the United States Army on the GI Bill. In return, he was required to serve two years of active duty beginning in Seattle, Washington, and ending in Japan. During this two-year stint, he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, an Expert Rifleman’s Badge, an Army Occupation of Japan Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.
After returning to Georgia, utilizing his GI benefits, Emory attended Mercer University. While attending Mercer, he joined the advanced ROTC Army Reserve. Among his many accomplishments at Mercer, he was Captain of the Basketball Team, President of the Senior Class, President of the Student Body, President of Alpha Phi Omega, and Vice-President of Blue Key. He was a proud member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity where he served as Grand Master. He was also President of the Inter-Fraternity Council. After graduation, Emory served as an advisor to Kappa Sigma for many years. In 2008, he was inducted into the Alpha Beta Chapter Alumni Hall of Fame for his long service to the Mercer Kappa Sigma chapter.
After graduation, Emory married the love of his life, Anne Stanley Wilson. They were married for fifty-nine years until her death. They raised three children together. Emory had a twenty-nine-year career in the Army Reserve, reaching the rank of Colonel. He loved the Army and was proud to serve his country. In 1976, Colonel Wilson’s final assignment was as Commandant of the 3283rd United States Army Reserve School in the Atlanta/East Point area.
During his time in the Reserve, Emory and Anne also operated Wilson Furniture Galleries for over twenty years, with locations in Fort Valley and Macon. Anne had the “decorator” touch, and Emory worked hard in the other areas, including commercial carpet installations and custom drapery. After retirement from the furniture business, Emory attended a prison weekend with the Bill Glass Prison Ministry Team, and soon realized he had found his calling. Bill Glass also realized he had found a good thing and hired Emory as a Coordinator, working in this position for eleven years before becoming Assistant to the President for eighteen years. He served Bill Glass Ministries for a total of thirty-five years. In 2016, Anne and Emory were inducted into the Bill Glass “Hall of Fame.” The following year, Emory was elected to serve on the Board of Directors based in Dallas Texas. God used Emory to bring many people to the Lord, and he made many life-long friends from all over the United States.
Emory served as President of the Houston County Interfaith Jail/Prison Ministry which visited the county jails in Middle Georgia. He also served on the Rehoboth Baptist Association Planning Committee for over thirty years. During these years, this committee helped sixteen new Baptist churches get started in the Middle Georgia area. Emory also became the oldest participant ever to be a part of Houston County Leadership. He finished at the age of 91. One of his proudest moments came when he was asked to be the Grand Marshal for the 2018 Fourth of July/Independence Day Parade in Perry. Emory was an active member of First Baptist Church of Perry where he served many times as a Deacon, even until the age of 92. He truly loved being a servant in his church. Above all, Emory cherished quality time with his family. He had a great sense of humor and loved watching his great-grandchildren play sports. One of the biggest blessings for the family was spending this past Christmas together with Emory, as he delighted in food, fun, and fellowship.
Emory was preceded in death by his parents; his stepfather; his loving and devoted wife of fifty-nine years, Anne Stanley Wilson; his sister, Sue Wilson Mathews; and his brothers-in-law, Bill Martin and Jack Mathews.
Left to cherish the memories they made with Emory are his children who recognize how fortunate they were to call him Dad, Patty and Ernest Greene of Perry, Jill and Stan Wilson of Milledgeville and Juanita and Bucky Wilson of Perry; his loving grandchildren who worshiped him, Anna and Hunter Stanley, Blair and Ernest Greene, Kate Greene, Dr. Emory Adam Wilson, Liza and Andrew Hilliard, David Wilson, Shelby Wilson, and Maci Anne Wilson; his great-grandchildren and “apples of his eye,” Alex Stanley, Jackson Stanley, Sam Wilson Stanley, Miles Greene, Sid Greene, Emory Owen Greene, Nathan Wilson, Josie Wilson, Natalie Wilson, William Wilson, and Harrison Hilliard; his special sister, Tot Martin; his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Sally and Ronnie Stanley; his special friends, Jeanie and Kim Cassell; many loving nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews; and a host of many, many friends.
Condolences for the family may be left in the online guestbook at www.watsonhunt.com. Watson-Hunt Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.
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