Doris Eleanor Wilder, 92, of Murfreesboro, died at home Aug. 10 after a long period of slowly declining health. She was born Aug. 11, 1924 in Daylight. She attended school in McMinnville and graduated salutatorian from Centertown High School.
During World War II, she worked for Life and Casualty Insurance Company in Nashville. She married Vernon Harold Wilder on Aug. 4, 1946 and moved to Long Beach, Calif., shortly thereafter. During her time in California, she had two children (Ronald and Larry), and was very active in Cub Scouts, PTA and other organizations. She and her family were especially active travelers and campers. She was an excellent cook, loved sewing, knitting and other forms of needlework, and enjoyed genealogy focusing on the Vinson, Williams and Wilder families.
Upon Vernon’s retirement from McDonald Douglas Corp in 1981, Doris and Vernon moved to Murfreesboro. They remained active travelers and continued their pursuit of genealogy.
Mrs. Wilder was preceded in death by her parents, John Thomas Vinson and Olive Williams Vinson, her brother, Randolph Vinson, her husband, Vernon Harold Wilder, and her son, Larry Wayne Wilder.
Survivors include her son, Dr. Ronald Lynn Wilder and his wife, Debbie of Littleton, N.C., daughter-in-law, Jan Wilder of Tucson, Ariz., her grandson and his wife, Jason and Karen Wilder of Westminster, Colo., her granddaughter and her husband, Wendy and Jim Beale of Arlington, Va., and great-grandchildren, Brett Beale, Matthew Beale, Aiden Wilder and Landon Wilder.
Visitation will be Friday, Aug. 18 from 5 to 7 p.m. at McMinnville Funeral Home. The funeral service will be held Saturday, Aug. 19, at 10 a.m. at McMinnville Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow at Blues Hill Cemetery. Charles Williams will officiate. Memorial contributions may be made to Magness Library Genealogy Department or to the Lively Photography Museum.
McMinnville Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.