Mrs. Juanita Christine (Derden) Sanford

Evans Funeral Home announces the death of Mrs. Juanita Christine Sanford, age 95, of Braselton, Georgia.  She passed away on Friday, November 5, 2021, surrounded by loved ones. Mrs. Sanford was born in Gilmer County, Georgia, a daughter to the late Bascom and Belle Sutton Derden. In addition to her parents and several siblings, Mrs. Sanford was preceded in death by her husband, Willard Doyle Sanford.  

Survivors include her son, Ray David Sanford of Gainesville; daughter, Judy Brooks of Hoschton; granddaughter, Christine Mock Johnson and her husband Ron of Lavonia; great granddaughter, Victoria Christine Miller and her husband Tyler of Braselton; great grandson, John-Christian Mullins of Hoschton; and great- great granddaughter, Evelyn Cannon of Braselton.  Two sisters (Geneva Colvard and Marie Holt), and several nieces and nephews also survive.

She was cherished and adored by her family and will be terribly missed.

Mrs. Sanford was a Civil Servant who went to Hawaii during World War II, and packed emergency parachutes for United States Army Air Corps military pilots.  Congressman Doug Collins had a flag flown over the US Capital on July 4, 2020 in honor of her Civil Service.  Mrs. Sanford was a Homemaker and a member of the Jefferson Avenue Baptist in East Point, and later a member of Zion Baptist Church in Braselton. At each church, she cared for decades of babies in the nursery, cooked and cleaned for funerals and other functions, and volunteered her time and talents for anything that was needed.  She was loving, kind, and caring and she would help anyone in need.  She prayed daily for God to help her be “ever mindful of the needs of others”.  Mrs. Sanford loved reading and was a founding member of the Braselton Library which she volunteered her time weekly to staff the library for decades.  She was instrumental in the establishment of the scholarship fund that the library currently offers.  Mrs. Sanford was a member of the Lions Club and each year would sell brooms and mops to raise money for eyeglasses and vision surgery for the needy.  She would cook for each meeting and to this day people still talk about how good her French bread was and how they miss eating all of the other wonderful things that she would cook.  She was also a long time member of the Braselton Woman’s Club.  

A Graveside Service was held on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 10:00 AM in the Georgia National Cemetery with Reverend Ken May officiating.

Evans Funeral Home, Inc., 1350 Winder Highway, Jefferson, Georgia.  706-367-5467.

Online condolences at: www.evansfuneralhomeinc.com

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