MARJORIE CAROLYN KIRKLAND, 73
Registered Nurse
LAKELAND - Mrs. Marjorie Carolyn Kirkland, age 73, passed away Sat. 3/22/08 due to cancer.
She was born in Ft. Meade, FL and has been a resident of Polk County most of her life.
Mrs. Kirkland was a registered nurse and retired from the Polk County Health Dept. after many years. Over the course of her career she helped care for thousands of working class families, her favorite part of her job was caring for the children, and many a local child received their school shots from Nurse Kirkland. Mrs. Kirkland also was one of the first nurses in the area to care for HIV-AIDS patients at a time when some medical personnel were terrified to be near them. Mrs. Kirkland served as a Polk school system AIDS education nurse. Polk administrators, staff and students learned their first realities of AIDS and HIV from her and a handful of nursing colleagues. As public service nurse she was dedicated to the people she served and her career was reflective of heartfelt caring and servant leadership.
Carolyn was a longtime member of the Southwest Church of Christ; she was a woman of deep faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. She loved her church and the people, some of her oldest and dearest friends are members.
Mrs. Kirkland loved gardening; her yard is a myriad of blooming flowers, robust ferns and colorful annuals. Magnolias and azaleas are a couple of her favorites and the spring azalea bloom was an especially enjoyable time for her. A woman who learned to have a green thumb was always happy to give a tip, cut a sample and share. A visit to our local Cypress Gardens to take in the natural beauty there was an especially good time for her.
She also loved to travel with her friends, some of her most enjoyable days of her life were spent in the company of friends touring.
She loved her family. Carolyn was preceded in death by her husband, Wilson (Ronnie) Kirkland and is survived by son, Nelson Kirkland of Winter Haven, daughters, Brenda Gordon of Tampa, Sandra Stafford of Lakeland, she was very proud of her three kids. She is also survived by her brother, James Lovell Morgan of Lakeland, whom she loved deeply. Her grandchildren, April Edwards, Andrew Sutton, Crystal Stafford, Sam Stafford, Cooper Kirkland, and great grandchildren, Aurora Van Kuehlman and Lily Edwards have been the apple of her eye and no time was dearer to her then time spent with her grandkids.
Carolyn's maiden name was Morgan, a well known family in Springhead and Medulla and she married into the Kirkland family, also a large and longtime Polk county family name. Many a niece or nephew or family friend will recall times in their lives when "Aunt C" or "Marjorie" served to offer a word of encouragement, bolster confidence or just offer a loving shoulder to rest upon.
Mrs. Kirkland loved her work as a nurse, loved her church, family and friends, and loved her community. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her.
The family will receive friends Tues. from 5 - 7pm at Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home, Southside Chapel, 1727 Bartow Rd. Funeral services will be conducted Wed. 10 am at the funeral home chapel with interment to follow at Springhead Cemetery.
Donations may be made to Good Shepherd Hospice, as they did a yeomen's job in making Mrs. Kirkland's final days, comfortable and significant. Red Cross of Polk County as Red Cross shares her ideals of local community service to man regardless of personal means or please send flowers as she loved gods green earth and the creations only he can receive praise for.
Arrangements by Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home, Southside Chapel.
