Laura Michele Wilbanks

Henry Wilbanks and Mary Louise Pickerill.

She was the 3rd eldest of 6 children, William (Bill), Suzy, her, Louis, Vicki and Sonny. She told me on a few occasions over the years, that she saw my father Wally Sr. walking down the hallway at Miami Central High School with a girl on each arm, and she told me, “She had to have him!” She married Wally Sr. in Miami, in September of 1968. They had my sister Dina in 1969 and me, in 1972. Her and my father divorced in 1974.

She worked a few years at Captain D’s and Burger King as an Assistant Manager in Jacksonville. At Burger King, she met her 2nd husband, David Martin. In 1977 they had my sister, Nichoel Martin and lived on the Southside of Jacksonville, where David still resides.

Laura began her trucking career in the 1980’s with Frito Lay where she started driving a box truck and eventually moved to a 5th wheel truck with an attached trailer. After Frito Lay, she started driving “dump buckets”, which were the semi’s with the open trailers, hauling rock, sand and all sorts of things. She eventually leased her own Pearl White Peterbuilt. (She loved the Hoover Dam.) Her Trucker handle was “Rainbow”!

In the late 80’s, she married Richard Bailey. They would go camping and fishing often and she loved it. Her and Richard got divorced but remained good friends. She cared for him until he passed away in November 2007.

She moved to Glen St. Mary in 1998 and purchased a 4 Acre lot. The city named it “Wilbanks Ln”. She cared for all of her brothers and sisters on her property at one point. My grandmother-in-law, Melody, as well as other friends who rented rooms and helped her with taking care of her property and assisted with bills.

She began working at the Macclenny, Fl. Walmart around 2006. She made several good friends over the years and helped so many. The impact she made at Walmart became obvious after the numerous heartfelt prayers and wishes that we received from her fellow employees and customers after her passing.

We can only hope and pray that we can all live the generous, faithful and committed life that she lived. Her care for others, her independence, her love for the outdoors, her family, and her overall saint of a human being.

We love you Mommy, we miss you and we will see you in Heaven one day!

A Celebration of Life will be held at the GFWC Women's Club of Macclenny, located at 144 South 5th Street, Macclenny, FL, 32063. The service is scheduled for February 6, 2026, starting at 11:00 am.