Obituary of Juanita Pruitt Harden

Juanita Pruitt Harden of Haines City, Florida passed away surrounded by her family on Monday, April 8, 2024. She was born on Wednesday, April 1, 1942, in Gadsden, Alabama to Cecil and Imogene Pruitt.  They later moved to Haines City, FL in 1956 when she was 14 years old.

Juanita’s career was as a counselor, first as a guidance counselor with Polk County Public Schools, then as a licensed mental health counselor with the Winter Haven Hospital. She was a longtime member of Eastside Baptist Church in Haines City.  In fact, she and her husband Gerald, were the first couple married in the new church building in 1963. Juanita enjoyed writing poems, and mysteries, but her first love was being a Mom. She enjoyed taking care of her family and watching her children and later grandchildren grow.

She was predeceased by her parents; and is survived by her husband, of 60 years, Gerald “Jerry” Harden; son, Jason D. Harden and his wife, Carrie of La Crosse, WI; daughter, Danielle Branch and her husband, Fred of Kissimmee, FL; brothers, Larry Pruitt and his wife, Dianne of Haines City, FL; Gary Pruitt of Winter Haven, FL; grandchildren, Kyle Branch and his wife Kristen, Kameron Branch, PFC USMC Karson Branch, Isabel Harden, and Zoey Harden.

A visitation will be at 1pm with a 2pm funeral service at Oak Ridge Funeral Care, Haines City, FL on Friday, April 19th.

Memorial donations may be made in her name to a charity of your choice.