Brenda Joyce Gilbert Songer

Brenda Joyce Gilbert Songer, 81, of Lonoke, Arkansas, passed peacefully surrounded by her loved ones, on (her birthday) Sunday, November 2, 2025. She was born in Spokane, Washington in 1944 to Floyd and Minnie Williams. She was born during WWII and raised in post-war years, she knew how to work hard, love hard and fought hard when she felt it was needed. Brenda was a pediatric nurse, one of the best in her field, and worked with children with disabilities until she retired.

Brenda loved animals and would rather be around them than people most of the time. One of Brenda’s favorite things to do was going to flea markets and thrift stores. She loved gardening and canning for her family and always seemed to be at her happiest with a loud and rambunctious houseful of kids.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Floyd Wesley Williams Sr. and Minnie Adolie McElyea Williams; husband, Elmer Earl Gilbert; husband, Melvin Lee Songer; sister, Flossie Willams; brother Floyd Willams Jr.; and granddaughter, Sable Wilkerson.

Left behind to cherish her memory, sisters, Penny Stracner and Debbie Short; sisters-in-law, Barbara Pierce and Dana Williams; her companion, Kenneth Wilkerson Sr.; children, Kenneth Wilkerson Jr., Vonda Evans, Shannon & Angie Gilbert, Thad & Kazuno Gilbert, Misty Skelton and Kathryn VanKopp; grandchildren, Crystal, Felicia, Nathan, Leon, Liam, Fiona, Gensei, Jessica and Jon; 13 great grandchildren and 1 great great grandchild; many nieces, nephews, friends and family that will miss her dearly.

The family would like to extend a very special Thank you to Hospice Home Care of Little Rock and to Maleah Winberry and Baby Kam. We would never have been able to care for our mother at home without the love, professionalism and compassion they provided us all.

A visitation will be held at 10:00am, Saturday, November 8, 2025, with service following at 11:00am at Boyd Funeral Home Chapel. The interment will be at Walnut Grove Cemetery in Hector, Arkansas. Arrangements by Boyd Funeral Home, Lonoke.