Juanita Brooks Pedersen, 96, of Columbia, died January 20, 2016, at NHC HealthCare, Parklane.
.
Mrs. Pedersen was born on December 5, 1919 in Columbia, SC, to the late James Carl Brooks and Sadie Hill Brooks. She attended Columbia High School and Columbia Business School. Mrs. Pedersen was a member of Dentsville Baptist Church for more than 60 years where she sang in the choir and served in numerous other positions. She was active in her community through the Order of the Eastern Star and the Order of the White Shrine of Jerusalem. Mrs. Pedersen retired from Joseph Keel Elementary School after 20 years of service.

She was married to Alfred Sidney Pedersen, Sr. for 45 years until his death in 1981.
Among those surviving to cherish her memory are son, Alfred Sidney "Buddy" Pedersen, Jr. (Josie) of Hopkins, SC; daughters, Susane "Susie" Pedersen Krueger (Roger) of Elizabeth City, NC, and Diane Pedersen Lewis (Bob) of Mt. Pleasant, SC; five grandchildren, Tamara Cox Weaver (Kurt) of Raleigh, NC, Jodie Brian Pedersen (Leslie) of Anderson, SC, Cindy Pedersen Deal (Mark) of Dacula, GA, Mikell Beechinor (Kevin) of Denver, CO, Patrick Lewis of Charleston, SC; five great-grandchildren, Alexandria and Caroline Weaver, Christopher, Markie and Chelsey Deal; and sister-in-law, Helen Brooks of Irmo, SC.

In addition to her parents and husband, Mrs. Pedersen was preceded in death by her son, Jimmie Brooks Pedersen; two brothers, James Maxwell Brooks and Julius Carl Brooks; two sisters, Bernice Hill Brooks and Sadie Brooks Smoak; brother-in-law, James Benjamin Smoak; and sister-in-law, Hazel Brooks.

Funeral services will be held on Friday January 22 at 2:00 p.m., at Shives Funeral Home, 7600 Trenholm Road in Columbia. The Rev. Jeffery T. Scott and The Rev. Mark Buchan will officiate. Burial will follow in Crescent Hill Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends for visitation at Shives Funeral Home at 1:00 p.m.

Pallbearers will be Jimmy Brooks, Kenneth Garrick, Robert Pedersen, Bob Taylor, Foster Branham, and Shelton Scott.

The family would like to thank the wonderful staff of Brookdale Assisted Living, NHC HealthCare Parklane, and Caris Hospice of Columbia for their loving care and friendship to Mrs. Pedersen and her family.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 2786, Columbia, SC 29202or to the charity of your choice.