EMILY C. WARNBERG 1934-2021

Lynn Haven, Florida.  Emily Warnberg, 86, of Lynn Haven, Florida, passed away on May 11, 2021 at her home in Lynn Haven.  Emily was born in Henry County, Alabama between Headland and Abbeville.  She spent her early years attending school in Gantt's Quarry, Sylacauga, and Opelika, Alabama, St. Andrew's, Florida and Dothan, Alabama where she graduated from High School in 1953.  Emily enrolled in a correspondence course for bookkeeping and accounting after which she was employed in Mobile, Alabama as a bookkeeper.

Emily was married in Mobile to Harry Warnberg in 1956.  She then moved to Columbus, Georgia where she applied her skills in bookkeeping and accounting to radio/tv WRBL.  Then she worked in radio and tv in different parts of the country where she lived.

Emily lived in Germany in the early 60's where her youngest daughter was born.  Upon returning to the states she lived near Fort Benning, GA, Fort Bragg, NC, and Washington D.C. Her next move was to Panama where she lived in the country of Panama for almost a year before moving into the Canal Zone.  While there she visited Columbia and Ecuador as well as the Central American countries and Mexico on her return trip to the United States.

As her husband's Army service came to an end, Emily developed a yen to own her own business.  While visiting her parents in Panama City, she saw a shop in Lynn Haven, Florida called the Weed Patch for sale.  It was an antique/consignment craft business.  Emily bought it and ran that business for six years.  She then had a studio on her own property in Lynn Haven, where she plied her trade in fiber arts and gave classes.  She also used her studio as a commercial outlet.  In order to refine her skills in fiber arts, she went to Harrisville, NH, to learn loom weaving, then numerous trips to John C. Campbell Folk School for various classes including hat making and shoe making.  Another significant trip was to Quail Botanical Gardens in California to refine her skills in fiber arts.

While in Panama, Emily and her husband took in a high school student, who needed a home while he finished his last year in high school.  He became her "other" son and to this day calls Emily, "Mom".  Today her is a retired full Colonel of the U.S. Army and a significant part of the family.  Another person who was helped by Emily when she was in need and referred to Emily as Mom in now a Lutheran Pastor in Crystal River, FL.  Emily adopted a class of about thirty developmentally disabled clients at St. Andrew Bay Center, Now Arc of the Bay.  She gave each of them a special birthday with a gift and a celebration.  She continued this for ten years.

Emily is survived by her husband of 65 years, U. S. Army LTC Harry Warnberg; daughter, Emily Charlotte Moreau; daughter in law, Michelle Warnberg; great granddaughters, Brynn and Jade Warnberg; her "other" daughter, Pastor Joanie Holden; grandsons, Hasten Warnberg, Seth Moreau, Cole Moreau; her "other" son, U.S. Army COL Paul Fortune; two sisters, India Belisle, Paula Pettit; a brother, Ed Johnston.  She was preceded in death by her parents, J.D. & Hettie Johnston; daughter, Margaret and son, Charles.  A memorial service will be held at Roberts Hall in Lynn Haven, Florida on Sunday , May 23, 2021 at 3 p.m.  Her remains will be interred beside her beloved special needs daughter, Margaret, in Sardis Baptist Cemetery near Abbeville, Alabama.  Emily requests that in lieu of floral tributes a donation be made to Arc of the Bay in Panama City, Florida.