Monza' Henson Wilson

Mrs. Monza’ H. Wilson, age 95, a resident of Ozark, Al for 47 years, passed away peacefully into the arms of her Lord on Dec.3rd in Seasons Hospice in Atlanta,Ga. Her family was blessed to be bedside singing her favorite Methodist hymns she requested before and as she passed. Mrs. Wilson was the beloved wife of H. Dwight Wilson for 58 years. They raised two children in Ozark, their daughter Karen Monza’ Robinson and son Kevin Dwight Wilson. She has five grandchildren, Rachel Wilson Beebe (Alex) of Mobile, Joshua Charles Robinson (Britt) of Chicago, Nathaniel Dwight Robinson of Auburn, Matthew Dwight Wilson of Hoover, and Brooke Gail Wilson also of Hoover. She has one beloved sister, Lazanda Henson, of Jacksonville, Alabama. She is predeceased by her husband, daughter, and two brothers. She leaves behind a loving son-in-law Pastor Michael Robinson of Brundidge and a loving daughter-in-law Jill Suzann Wilson of Hoover, as well as two great grandchildren, Cooper and August Robinson of Chicago.

Mrs. Wilson was an avid educator of many. She was the valedictorian of her high school class and worked to put herself through graduation at the Univ. of Alabama at a time when very few women were able to do so. She impacted many lives, and has always had many students she taught in elementary school in Tuscaloosa, or English as a second language at Fort Rucker, and Adult Basic Education in Ozark that have kept up with her even to this day. Several of her students learning English were from European nations. They hosted her in their homes and showed her so many cultural historical attractions.

She and her husband started their family in Birmingham, then to Montgomery and then to Ozark in 1969. She taught her children to work and appreciate economy and service to others, and most importantly she imparted to her children the knowledge of God ahead of lesser important worldly pursuits of comfort and security. Mrs. Wilson was actively involved with all her children’s activities including as Girl Scout troop leader, CHS Band Parent, Sunday school teacher as well as many civic activities of the day including race relations improvement. Her love for the Lord was evidenced by her extensive involvement with the United Methodist Women, whom she served continually in the Ozark FUMC many years including as President of the Al-West Florida Conference as well as nationally as a delegate to the National Convention. She aspired to visit and teach at every one of the churches in her UMW conference and visited so many. Her keepsakes include dozens of pins and ribbons of service as well as books of many pictures of the Methodist Women activities including a picture of her leading a conference meeting on stage while then Governor George C. Wallace was in attendance on the front row. Her childhood being depression era, she spent as little as possible. Some of her favorite memories were traveling America extensively with her family by camper. Having had an unusual type stroke in 2001, she suffered much the last 20 years of her life that curtailed her ability to process sound that amplified even normal conversations and normal sounds to seem overwhelming to her. Her ability to resume out of the home activities was a result of this and was misunderstood by many. She was largely homebound and very weak physically, but relied upon God alone. His Grace was sufficient for her. Having no relatives in Ozark, He provided special neighbors including the Sarah and James King family, the late Jan Friend and others to minister to her. Their help was indispensable to her happiness in her last years as she very much wished to remain in Ozark where her very life was lived. She thanks the so many families of the FUMC that were here and active in the 1970s and beyond in her life and that of her husband Dwight Wilson, and children Karen and Kevin Wilson. It was a full and Blessed life that she always treasured and remembered. Her favorite verse was Matthew 11:28- “All you who are weary and heavy burdened, come to me and I will give you rest”. She certainly was quite weary and heavy burdened physically the last many years of her life. She has now been given rest. She was buried at the family cemetery in Childersburg, Al alongside her many loved ones, with a celebration of life to be held at a later date. As she knows so many of her generation are no longer in Ozark, she wishes that any remaining relatives or family of this generation that wish to do so would perhaps leave a special word or event to be remembered to be left at Curtisandsonfh.com.