W.C. "Josh" Wilder

W.C. “Josh” Wilder went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, May 15 a month after his 90th birthday. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Millie; parents, J. S. and Ayne Wilder and sister, Luvena Hayton. He is survived by his daughter, Diane (Doug) Cornwell of Norwalk, CT; son, Jack (Pam) Wilder and daughter, Marsha (Bill) Baldwin of Nashville; grandchildren, Clint Wilder, Lacey Wilder (Bruce) Mason, Melissa Baldwin (Jason) Smith, Will (Devan) Baldwin, Drew (Kim) Cornwell, Stephen (Heather) Cornwell, Robert (Thailia) Cornwell, Tarala (Tim) Rybacki, Ashley (Sarah) Quinn; eleven great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Born in Broomtown, Alabama he spent his early years in nearby Ft. Payne, Alabama. The family moved to Nashville when he was 11. Josh was a graduate of East High School and Hume Fogg Technical School and joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1942 during WWII. He fought in the battles of Guadalcanal and Bougainville in the South Pacific with the First Marine Air Wing. He attained the rank of Tech Sergeant and was honorably discharged in 1945. After his return from WWII, he married his childhood sweetheart Millie. He joined his father in what became the family business, Wilder Motor & Equipment Company, where he worked until his retirement. Josh was a proud veteran, a member of the Guadalcanal Veterans MABS-1 Unit, the Marine Corps League, Sons of the American Revolution, Sons of Confederate Veterans, and the American Legion. He was also a member of the Middle Tennessee Industrial Distributors, and Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was a lifelong Baptist, and was an active member at Edgefield, Belmont Heights, Woodmont and finally Brentwood Baptist. Visitation with family and friends will be held on Monday, May 20 from 11:30-12:45 p.m., with a Celebration of Life Service following at 1:00 p.m. at Brentwood Baptist Church. A private interment will take place with the family. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to be made to The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, 3800 Fettler Park Drive, Ste. 104, Dumfries, VA 22025; marineheritage.org or Brentwood Baptist Church, 7777 Concord Road, Brentwood, TN 37072.