Juanita Kreeger Usher of Winston-Salem passed peacefully on Tuesday, November 11, 2014. She was a treasured mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, cousin, and friend. Juanita lived her life with an attitude that found comfort in a simple faith and with a spirit of optimism in the face of adversity. A gregarious “people person,” she made friends easily with people from all walks of life, displaying a Christian spirit that was always sincere.

Pearl Juanita Kreeger was born December 14, 1920 in Tobaccoville, NC to Fred Lee and Maggie Speas Kreeger. She attended the Moravian Church as a child and was the salutatorian of her class at Old Richmond High School. Upon graduation from business school, she moved to Savannah, Georgia to work as a secretary at the Savannah Shipyard that built Liberty ships for the World War II effort. She was always very proud of having the honor of christening one of the Liberty ships. Nita met R. Alton Usher at the shipyard and they married in 1945. She lived in Savannah for twenty years and gave birth to her three sons there. Juanita returned to Winston-Salem in 1966 working at Wachovia Bank until her retirement in 1987. She retired to the mountains and spent many happy years gardening, antiquing, traveling, reading with her book club, playing bridge, volunteering with her church, and most joyfully of all spending time with family and friends.

Nita is survived by her beloved sister Mozelle K. Hendrix of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee who religiously sent weekly letters to her sister, even after Nita was stricken with vascular dementia. Even towards the end, when little seemed clear, she so looked forward to the words of her big sister. Nita was predeceased by her cherished sister Bernice K. Moore of Tobaccoville and the sisters’ dear baby brother, Fred Lee Kreeger, Jr. She is also survived by her sons, Robert Alton Usher, Jr. and wife Antoinette of Charlotte, Stephen Kreeger Usher of Danbury, and Jess Alan Usher of Winston-Salem. Juanita dearly loved her grandchildren, Kimberly, Bobby, Mary Beth, Kreg, Monica, Sandy, Trey, and Hayden, along with her great-grandchildren Sydney and Kassidy. Aunt Nita very much loved her many nieces and nephews and their children and grandchildren as well. Throughout her life she made many close friends wherever she lived.

All of her loved ones have memories of her outgoing and cheerful spirit, as well as stories of her strength and her uncanny ability to show up when someone needed her strength and her sympathetic shoulder. Nita could stand on principle to the point of obstinacy, yet find it in her heart to forgive any transgression. She had her fair share of challenges, but her indomitable spirit would not allow for feeling sorry for one’s self. Instead, her philosophies of unflagging faith and taking “one day at a time” not only saw her through her own crises, her many examples of courage inspired all who knew her. She gave so much more to humankind than she took, a shining example of goodness and love for all.

There will be a memorial service on Saturday, November 15, 2014 at 11:00 am at Salem Funeral Home Reynolda Road Chapel 2599 Reynolda Road with the Rev. David Merritt officiating. A reception will follow the service at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the Williams Adult Day Center, 231 Melrose Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27103.

Online condolences may be made at www.salemfh.com - See more at: http://salemfh.com/obituaries/2537/#sthash.UAr7IBix.dpuf