Anna W. White

Anna (Ann) Belle Wiggins White of Atlanta passed away on February 17, 2025. She was born in Lake Wales, Florida in 1927 to Harvey Milton Wiggins and Anna Belle Lewis. She grew up in nearby Bartow. When she was young, her father had a cattle ranch outside of town, and sometimes she and her older sister would go out to ride horses, and take care of pet pigs, cats and dogs. She attended

Summerlin Institute (aka Bartow High School) where she had leading roles in Glee Club and class plays, and was a cheerleader. She fondly remembered fun dances after every football game and swimming in Kissingen Springs.

She dated a senior, John White, during her sophomore year. Both performed in Glee Club that year, in “HMS Pinafore,” and both were cheerleaders.

Ann was an excellent student and studied piano. Graduating with Honors in 1945, she enrolled at Florida State College for Women (now Florida State University) to major in music. She was a member of Chi Omega Sorority. As part of her curriculum, she played piano on the radio on weekends. Also on the weekends, she and her hometown sweetheart John would visit each other!

After World War II he enrolled at the University of Florida, not too far away, on the GI bill. They got married in Bartow in 1948. Her husband worked for Southern Bell for 42 years, and during that time he and Ann moved several times with their two children, Johnny and Cathy, all over Florida, and to New Jersey, Mississippi and

eventually to Atlanta. With every move, Ann made a new and happy home for her family, helping to adjust to new homes, new schools, new churches, and new friends.

She volunteered at schools, Boy and Girl Scouts, and took her children to all the school, church and extra-curricular activities. Regardless of where they lived, they always returned to Bartow and Ft. Meade, Florida to visit grandparents and other relatives, so that their children could get to know cousins and 2nd cousins. Those ties are still strong. Family cookouts and making homemade ice cream were great fun. Annual trips to Sanibel Island for vacations at the beach created special memories going back to the 1950’s. Having grandchildren spend the night, or spend a week at Sanibel, and playing cards and games with them, were highlights of their lives. Sundays after church were always for lunch at a cafeteria and visiting with grandchildren.

She and her husband were faithful Choir members of every church where they were members, most recently Peachtree Presbyterian Church, which they joined in 1979. They also enjoyed supportingthe symphony and art museums. After we kids had gone to college, Ann continued her music studies and became a church organist in Mandarin, Florida. Later in Atlanta, she joined the Atlanta Artists Club and studied painting, exhibiting in shows and sometimes selling her work. After a lifetime of moving to different homes, she and John moved to Canterbury Court in Atlanta in 2006, where they truly enjoyed their last years.

In addition to her parents, Ann was pre-deceased by her sister, Sarah Helen Wiggins Pepin. She is survived by son John Hamilton White (Gail) and daughter Cathy Ann White Williams (Andrew). Also surviving her are grandchildren Becky White (Joe Brumm), Amelia Ditzel (Drew Ditzel), Meredith Jordan (William Jordan), Jonathan White (Sunny White), and eight great-grandchildren.