Back in 2013 I was working in Château Elan and I met Claire. We started talking and quickly realize we both had a love for Jesus. Me and Claire became friends and she invited me to IHOP the international house of prayer. We would go together we would talk often. I even remember when Claire got into an accident . It was crazy. I remember seeing it on the news. I only knew Claire for a short time, but I’m thankful that I have that time. We lost touch after I moved from Winder Georgia. Over the  past years I would try to find her on Facebook, but then I noticed that her account was no longer there. I remember trying to call her number and it was out of service. Just this evening I thought about her again and tried to search again and as I searched online. I came across this page. I didn’t know she passed away. And it’s a sad thing, but I’m thankful that I got to know her for the time that I did. Miss you, Claire and I look forward to hopefully one day  seeing you with our Lord.

It's been several years since me and Claire last talked. I had the chance to teach her how to cut meat. She was best at everything she done. I then befriended Claire and she would come over when I had my daughter and watch cartoons and color and such. The day I called around 2015, we met and had some appetizers as a goodbye. My dad had become ill and I had moved from Atlanta back to South Georgia. I really adore what God had placed in her soul. She helped me so many times just by talking and nothing more. I was looking to reach out to her and share what the Lord has and is doing with me now. I'm sending my condolences to the family as I've just found out about her leaving too soon. I'm lost for words. May she rest in the place with Jesus. Much love to the family and friends. 

Tonight I was drying my hair and you popped up in my mind...Now I'm sitting here looking at your pictures and shared memories...thinking of all the times that you encouraged me...going to church together...the times we spent together laughing at the simplest of things...you teaching me how to drive in Athens bc i was too scared...enjoying the college life....then living together and struggling the "after-college" life...
I wish i could have done so many things differently...I hope you know that....and I hope you know that you are so loved and missed. I will be a better person because of you...a better friend...and I will tell people your story. Your life was a gift to so many. I am excited that i will get to see you again someday. Until next time.
With love,
Katie

When I think of Claire I remember  a sweet, silly, blonde little girl that was always happy.  In my memory I picture her dressed in her Catholic School uniform jumping out of the family van ready to climb the trees, and run and play with her siblings and cousins at her grandmothers house.

I picture her sitting in the big tree in Moomaws back yard with her sister Carly.   I see the tire swing and her brothers Jared and James winding the swing tight - then letting her go to spin out of control. Laughing the entire time. I remember her sitting with her siblings on the bench in moomaws kitchen waiting for a grilled cheese sandwich. Always happy, always thankful. 

When Claire was about 8 years old, she would sit with “Moomaw” and they would crochet together. She crocheted a blanket for her mother and a scarf and purse for me. 

My favorite memory of Claire was the day  I walked in her room and she had stacked toys, boxes, pillows, blankets, chairs, anything and everything to make a “ladder” to reach a high shelf in her bedroom to retrieve her collectible barbie dolls.  (these dolls were not to be played with or taken out of the box!)
Claire had opened every box, undressed and redressed them all. After she played with them she put them back in the boxes, climbed the ladder and placed them back on the shelf. 
She asked me not to tell anyone and I never did...until now (Carly will remember, she was her partner in crime) 

Claire was a happy child.  She loved her mother and father and her brothers and sister.  She loved her grandparents and all of her extended family.  She loved life.  Sweet girl, she will be missed by many.  

When I think of Claire I remember  a sweet, silly, blonde little girl that was always happy.  In my memory I picture her dressed in her Catholic School uniform jumping out of the family van ready to climb the trees, and run and play with her siblings and cousins at her grandmothers house. Always carefree.

I picture her sitting in the big tree in Moomaws back yard with her sister Carly.   I see the tire swing and her brothers Jared and James winding the swing tight - then letting her go to spin out of control. Laughing the entire time. I remember her sitting with her siblings on the bench in Moomaws kitchen waiting for a grilled cheese sandwich, or sitting in Pawpaws lap reading a good book.  Always happy, always thankful. 

When Claire was about 8 years old, she would sit with “Moomaw” and they would crochet together. She crocheted a blanket for her mother and a scarf and purse for me. 

My favorite memory of Claire was the day  I walked in her room and she had stacked toys, boxes, pillows, blankets, chairs, anything and everything to make a “ladder” to reach a high shelf in her bedroom to retrieve her collectible barbie dolls.  (these dolls were not to be played with or taken out of the box!)
Claire had opened every box, undressed and redressed them all. After she played with them she put them back in the boxes, climbed the ladder and placed them back on the shelf. 
She asked me not to tell anyone and I never did...until now (Carly will remember, she was her partner in crime) 

Claire was a happy child.  She loved her mother and father and her brothers and sister.  She loved her grandparents and all of her extended family.  She loved life.  Sweet girl, she will be missed by many.  

Claire was like a daughter to me as she was to so many others. Such a sweet spirit,  such a beautiful young lady. I always enjoyed our fellowship together Our personal conversations . And like a father figure  I Always loved  encouraging and  edifying her knowing what a treasure she was and is. I will never forget her. I miss her but she’s free and with Jesus and there’s no better place to be than with him. 

She was a beautiful gift to me from God as a spiritual daughter in DC 2017... the Lord told me she was coming my way in 3 months... and sure enough she showed up in Oregon almost to the date, exactly 3 months. I baptized her in the Ocean at the Seaside Turn Around! I watched her for almost two years impact the whole Northwest!  She shared her testimony with several troubled youth and shared her life with so many blooming people here... and I watched her grow in her spiritual life. She was full of life and love and extremely passionate about her bridegroom King, YESHUA and she wanted everyone to know him.  She was a forerunner carrying the fire of God! Just cannot believe she’s gone on to Glory already! I will forever treasure every moment we had together... I love you BabyClaire.  Thank you God for such a beautiful treasure.  Gone way too soon. Never forgotten. 

I can't tell you how many times Claire spoke the direct Truth of Jesus Christ to me and gave me the encouragement and strength to hold on, keep going. I recall one memory in particular on my 30th birthday, Claire and I sat on the front porch of my parent's home in Bishop, GA, and I confessed how excruciating the past few years had been for me, and her prophetic words gave me a fresh breath of life. She said, "Micah, God is going to use you to do incredible things. I just see it. It's your destiny. You've got some work to do, but the tidal-wave of His blessing is coming for you, it's gonna overtake you." I'll never, ever forget those words, they've given me hope in some of the darkest moments of my journey. I love you, dearest sister, I miss you, but I will see you again. Rest freely in the arms of Jesus, and say a prayer for your family still here on Earth. Claire Renee Winder, angel of God, I love you so much. - Micah

Claire had an incredible gift of making people feel seen, heard, and loved. Whenever she smiled, it would light up the entire room. She exuded the joy of the Lord, and everything about her walk with Jesus was authentic and inspiring.
My most vivid memory of Claire was the very first time we met in the lobby of International House of Prayer of Atlanta. Our family was just coming out of a service when we noticed her standing and smiling all alone in the lobby. I immediately felt compelled to introduce myself, and before I knew it she was coming to our house for dinner. Later that evening she shared with our entire family her testimony. We marveled at the miraculous power of God’s amazing grace in her life and continued to be marveled by His presence working in and through her life. Little did we know then that several months later Claire would come to live with us for a year, and during that time she quickly became like part of the family. Even after she moved out, she continued to frequent our home and continued to be a special part of our family’s life.
It is hard to believe she is gone, but we know we will see her again. Her memory will continue to live on!

My very first memory with Claire was driving with her in the car on our way to my family’s house. We just met her in the lobby at church and she immediately had our hearts. I remember her sharing the story of how God brought her to himself as she spoke through tears In our livingroom. It wasn’t long after that that my mom and I visited Emmanuel College when I was a senior in high school. Claire was on admissions and invited us to come. I remember thinking “is this girl for real?” Little did I know then, how entwined our lives would become. She moved in with my family that November and brought with her so much joy. It was like having a roommate and I loved every minute of our late-night talks and laughter. We shared poetry and did art and talked so much about God.
Even after we both moved out, we continued to talk on the phone and meet up. She would come visit me at college and came to the Wesley Foundation with me a few times. One of my favorite memories is when she came to see me at UGA and we spent hours laughing and drawing and talking about the beauty of God and the ways He was moving in both of our lives. His presence was so real in that moment. We got frozen yogurt after and just goofed off and were totally silly. Claire has always been the real deal in my time of knowing her... her life was not without struggles and hardships, but she clung so tightly to the Lord. She loved so selflessly and whole-heartedly and lived before God with breathtaking abandon. I am so grateful for her steady love she offered me again and again... even when I called her up and ugly cried on the phone. She embraced so many this way. She was a beacon, an encourager, and exhorter. Her life was not wasted... it was a life poured out in a beautiful display of love for all around her. Claire was a miracle, a gift, a delight, and a genuine lover of her Lord. While I can’t call her up on the phone, I can lean into the One she pointed me towards so many times.

Claire has always inspired me. She was so kind, generous, and loving. When she was living with us, she would love to listen to me play piano. We spent a lot of time worshipping together. She loved music/worship. It was hard for her not to worship whenever someone was playing music in the house. I loved this about her. Any time I would start to play piano, she would sit and listen. She has encouraged me so many times in my life. I look forward to the day I get to worship with her again in Heaven. 

This beautiful young lady was so kind to this widow who is much older. We were both Christmas guests at my son’s home. 
She kindly drove me to see old friends around Atlanta during the holidays. We laughed together a lot.
Her beautiful spirit, her kindness and her youthful enthusiasm made the holidays so very enjoyable for me.
Her love for the Lord showed through her beautiful face and I know he welcomed her with open arms to heaven.

I am so sorry for your loss.  I remember teaching Claire to crochet. She picked it up so easily, it made my heart smile to see her enjoy it so much! Prayers for your family,🙏🏻

Claire was full of depth and instantly made others feel safe. I remember when she got in a horrible car accident that almost cost her her life..her trust in Jesus never wavered and she took the opportunity to share with others he testimony of how he had spared her life.  Claire was authentic and will be missed

Claire was a beautiful picture of the heart of Jesus . She was humble, kind, loving and genuine . She cared for the broken and those who were overlooked by the world.  One of my favorite memories of her was one night she shared with me this amazing idea she had for a kids devotional book ... the story was about a little bird and how God cared for it through the storms of life . I remember it being so anointed and special. I imagine this idea was more than a concept , but rather something she had experienced first hand throughout her life.  Claire acted in our first Christian short film we ever made . She was gifted at playing the role and needed no coaching at all...  she was a beautiful soul . 

Claire was an amazing person and will be sorely missed. She was a great encouragement to me in my walk with the Lord. When I met her, I was in the greatest transition season of my life, and she and a group of her friends spoke words in season that I still look back on today. I only knew her for about a year but in that year she made a tremendous impact on my life. You will be missed Claire! 

Claire lived in our house for a year.  As a witness of her daily life I observed and marveled at her devotion to Jesus. I don't mean that I marvel in hindsight.  I mean that I marveled then - at that time when she was with us and I continue to do so.  She lived for Him.  If she wasn't working, she was seeking God and His will for her life or telling others about Him.  She sought Him through reading the bible, journaling, drawing, praying, creative writing and other art projects.  She was learning the guitar so that she could worship Him through music.  She served at our church but also was a part of several other churches in the area. She spent her Friday nights: at church. She lived her life with a sincere heart. The light of Jesus was in her eyes.  What she offered to others was real. And she offered much. She was often very, very tired due to a health condition but she was an extremely hard worker who lived frugally and simply so that she could save money.  She didn't have much in the way of earthly possessions but I believe the most valuable thing she had was her relationship with God.  One of my favorite memories of Claire is that during her lunch break at work (which was a job in the grocery store on her feet all day), she would walk across the street to the nursing home and visit with the residents.  With big eyes, she told me, "Do you know that those people in the nursing home just want someone to hug them or smile at them?" as if to say it was a total surprise to her that it was so simple. I hope I can live half the life that she lived in such a short time on earth.  I have so many more precious memories that I will always treasure and that I am happy to share with anyone who will listen. I LOVE YOU, CLAIRE.  You are beautiful.  

I will always remember the very sweet young lady who shared her college days at Emmanuel with my daughter.  I remember a well mannered young lady who had a beautiful smile and a sweet spirit visiting with us in our home in South Carolina.  I attended a Christmas church service with her and my family in Lavonia, Ga.  I won’t forget her love of God and how she worshipped him faithfully with all the love in her heart.  May the peace which passes all understanding comfort her family and friends in the days to come.

OBITUARY

Claire Renee Winder

6 November, 1991 – 10 November, 2019

Resthaven Funeral Home & Memorial Park

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