Veralene B. Wilemon

“Leave everything a little better than you found it.”

On Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2026, Veralene “Vera” Wilemon, 94, was called home by her Heavenly Father.

Veralene Wilemon was born on August 24, 1931, in Altoona, Alabama, the second of three children of Verdie and Orisa Blakely.

On September 14, 1946, Veralene married her one true love, M. L. “Bill” Wilemon. Together, they shared a journey that spanned nearly 66 years. Through hard work and perseverance, they rose from humble beginnings as struggling sharecropper cotton farmers in Alabama to Bill becoming a long-distance truck driver and later holding an executive position in a large grocery co-op warehouse. Bill often said that Veralene’s love, devotion, and encouragement were the foundation of his success. Their love for each other remained steadfast and was evident to all who knew them.

Veralene was the devoted mother of four children: Roger, Diane, Gary, and Greg. Three of her children were born by the time she was 19. By her early 30s, she was raising two teenagers, a preteen, and a baby while Bill was frequently away for work. Though deeply challenged, she carried these responsibilities with dignity and perseverance.

She lived nearly 70 years in Ocala, a place she dearly loved. She kept family members who had moved away informed about local happenings and changes in the community. A faithful reader of the Ocala Star-Banner and devoted listener to the local news, she could recall events like a historian. Veralene was outgoing, a gifted conversationalist, and loved for her sense of humor and fun-loving nature.

She took great pride in keeping her home pristine, tending her garden, preparing delicious meals, and always presenting herself with grace and style. Her motto was, “Leave everything a little better than you found it.”

As the matriarch of her family, they were the center of her world. She lovingly referred to all of them—including her in-laws—as her “kids.”

In 2012, she endured the heartbreaking loss of her husband and her first child, Roger, just over two months apart. Though deeply saddened, she remained faithful to God and found the strength to carry on, continuing to live with dignity and independence until her final years.

She is survived by three children: Diane Mott (Larry), Gary Wilemon (Winona), and Greg Wilemon (Rita); grandchildren Shayne Wilemon, Travis Wilemon, Darren Tucker, Michael Wilemon, and Lana Crewey; seven great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandson.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 21, at Hiers-Baxley Funeral Home in Ocala, Florida, on Silver Springs Boulevard, with visitation at 10:00 a.m. and services at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Anthony Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be her son Greg; grandsons Shayne, Travis, Darren, and Michael; and son-in-law Larry.

She will be greatly missed, but her memory endures, and the love she shared with her family and friends lives on.