Juanita F. Gende peacefully went home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, November 16, 2023 at the age of 91 years and 8 months. She was predeceased in 2012 by her husband of 59 years, Victor J. Gende. She is survived by her children, Steven (Dolores), Karen, Michael, and Mark (Tena). She was blessed with seven grandchildren (Melissa Gende, Monica Gende, Jonathan Gende (Alison), Cathy Gende, Rebecca Gende, Trudy (Chris) Reibling, Felipe Flores (Shannon) and two great grandsons, Colten Sox (Monica) and Harry Flores (Felipe and Shannon).

She was predeceased by her parents, Ralph Waldo Lucas and Eunice Vitato Lucas, Eunice's second husband, Albert Haldeman, and her sister, Patricia Baldwin. She is survived by her sister, Marilyn Caldwell, brother, James Lucas (Cathy), and twin sisters Judy Palmer (Sherman) and Joyce Douglas. She is also survived by numerous nephews and a niece.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 25th, at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home in Springfield, Missouri. In lieu of flowers, Juanita requested donations be made to the High Street Baptist Church missions fund, 900 North Eastgate Avenue, Springfield, Missouri 65802 (https://www.highstreet.org/give and in the "last name" box after yours, please add "In Memory of Juanita Gende").