Annie Muriel Wilkes

One day God decided to send one of his angels to earth on November 24th, 1935, in Birmingham Alabama. Her name was Annie Muriel Marcus. She was born to the late Rev. Robert James Marcus and Wadie Mae Evans Marcus. At the early age of four her mother went on to be with the Lord, passing away from tuberculosis. At the age of 5 1/2 her father was blessed to get remarried to Ammie Leola Marbury Marcus, to whom raised her along with her six other siblings. Being the eldest child of a pastor, she always set great examples for her siblings to follow. She was a lover of God’s word accepting him as the head of her life at a very early age. She was a faithful member of St.Margaret’s Episcopal Church for over 40 years and later joined the Church of Christ in Jacksonville, FL in 2015.  She continued her membership with Residence Park Church of Christ in Dayton, Ohio.

Annie was a very studious child. She was a straight A student, loving to read everything and anything she could get her hands on. She graduated from Ullman High School in Birmingham, Alabama with straight A’s at the age of 16 and went on to college to become a registered nurse. Annie attended Grady Memorial Nursing School in Atlanta, Georgia, graduating at the age of 19. In 1956, while still living in Atlanta, she met the love of her life, Mr. Wilfred Wilkes. With her father-in-law, the late James Wilkes by their side, he drove them to Ohio where they made the decision to get married on August 18, 1957, in Indiana. Following their wedding, they moved to Ohio and from that union they had three wonderful children. Tonjua, Michael and Rolanda. These children were blessed to have some of the best parents on this side of heaven. Wilfred and Annie raised them up together in a family community (Fairlane Park) that taught them great work ethics and excellent family values. Her nursing career first took off at Miami Valley Hospital, where she was the head nurse for the labor and delivery department and worked alongside Mary Berry for ten plus years. She then began her employment with the Dayton VA Medical Center, where she was a supervisor in the geriatrics department until she retired in the early 2000’s. In addition to working at the VA Medical Center, she also worked for Drew Health Center and Medical Personnel Pool as an on call registered nurse. She was a member of the National Black Nurses Association, and she was one of the first black Girl Scout leaders, alongside, Betty McGee in the Dayton Ohio area. After retirement she became the world’s best grandmother, and her grandchildren simply adored her. 

On November 26th, 2024, God called her back home.  She was proceeded in death by her cherished husband, Wilfred Wilkes, her parents and two siblings, James Evans Marcus and Herschel Marcus.

She leaves to cherish and honor her memory and legacy, three children Tonjua (Gregory) Dixie, Michael (Andrea) Wilkes, Rolanda (Edward) Dixon. Nine grandchildren, Natina (Patrick) Maxwell, Nikita (Ray) Turrentine, Monique Wilkes, Taylor Wilkes, Kayla (Curtis) Grant, Evan Dixie, Malcolm (Taylore) Wilkes, Larry Barnhill Jr., Alaisha Thompson, and 17 great grandchildren, 4 siblings, god children and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, family and friends.

Funeral service 11 am Friday, December 6, 2024 at House of Wheat Funeral Home, 2107 N. Gettysburg Avenue, Dayton, OH. Visitation 9 am- 11 am. Family will receive friends 10 am- 11 am. Interment West Memory Gardens.

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