Lena Ethel Wuerffel Strickland

Lena Ethel Wuerffel Strickland, 87, passed peacefully to her heavenly home on Aug. 16, 2019, with her family and friends by her side.

She was the oldest daughter of Frederick and Julia Irene Wuerffel, born in Monticello and lived there until her death. She had a love and passion for her hometown and was involved in many community services. She was the president of the Monticello Woman's Club, president of Triple L Club, and served for decades as the church hostess at the First Baptist Church. She was also an active member and organizer of Relay for Life and the Survivors Dinner many years prior to her own battle with cancer. She was also a volunteer for Big Bend Hospice and an Eastern Star member of the Quincy chapter. She and her husband, Clyde Strickland, worked relentlessly on raising funds to purchase the first rescue truck for the Jefferson County Ambulance Service. She will be missed for her many altruistic projects.

Ethel started her working career as a teenager at Simmons Drug Store, where all of the teenagers gathered after school. She then worked at Selective Service in Jefferson and Madison counties until the draft was disbanded. For many years she knew all teenage boys in both counties on their 18th birthday. She then worked for the city manager's office, Florida Power, and the building inspector’s office in Jefferson County, where she met the new residents to Monticello. She was always so proud to tell them all about her hometown and invite them to church.

She graduated from Jefferson County High School in 1952, and continued to be friends with her classmates over the years, planning many of the class reunions. She was a member of the First Baptist Church for 75 years, active in Becky Clayton’s Sunday School class, a member of search committees, Wednesday night dinners, visiting the sick, hospitalized, and homebound members. She lovingly decorated for many occasions at the church. She used her talent for decorating and organizing events to enhance hundreds of occasions. Some of her favorites were the Watermelon Festival Luncheon, Fashion Show, Secretaries Luncheon, fundraisers for the Woman's Club, and decorating for weddings and special events. She was preceded in death by her husband Clyo, parents, sister, brothers-in-law and niece. She is survived by a daughter, Judy Duncan (Dennis); son, Edward Strickland (Tammy); grandchildren; Heith Duncan (Crystal), Crystal Strickland Archibald (Nate), Steven Strickland (Frannie), Sam Strickland (Amber) and Casey Strickland; seven great-grandchildren: Avery Duncan, Kinsley and Blayden Archibald, Trent and Callie Strickland, Collin and Chase Strickland, Michael Wilford and Max Leishman. She will be missed by many nieces and nephews and her Lake City, Fla., family. “Sister” as she was known to her family and friends, always opened her home to a large family, hosting all of the family gatherings and holidays, with delicious food and beautiful decorations. The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to many friends that responded to her illness and death with so many expressions of love while she made her transition. Ethel will be remembered as a devoted and dedicated daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and community leader. Beggs Funeral Home, in Monticello, will be in charge of arrangements. A viewing will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20, at the funeral home. The funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. the following day, at First Baptist Church of Monticello. Interment will be at Roseland cemetery, where she will be buried next to her husband, parents, sister and brother-in-law.