Clara Vanwinkle

Benjamin Funeral Service - Nowata, Oklahoma - 918-273-2700.................................................................. Memorial services for Clara Elizabeth VanWinkle are 2:00 P.M., Thursday, March 23, 2017 at Benjamin Funeral Service Chapel with Pastor Jeffrey Rickman officiating. Online condolences may be left at www.honoringmemories.com. Memorials in Clara's name may be made to First United Methodist Church Dinners with Love program. Clara Elizabeth VanWinkle passed away Saturday, March 18, 2017 at Jane Phillips Nowata Health Center. She was born on June 10th 1931 to Roy W Wilkinson and Dixie (Kirk) Wilkinson in El Paso TX. She was employed by the Chevrolet dealership in Nowata before marrying Earl W VanWinkle in 1957 in Miami Ok. Her hobbies included baking, playing board games with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She is famous for her oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and her beaming smile which to my recollection never left her face with the 1 exception when 2 of her children decided to play dodge ball with tomatoes in the house. Clara loved flowers and had beautiful gardens. She spent many hours helping out at her church and made desserts for decades for the Wednesday night feed at her church. The last few years of her life she enjoyed going to breakfast on Saturday mornings, lunch on Sundays, and taking drives through the countryside with her daughter Hope. She has 5 children, Bradly, Stephen, Gavin, Hope Wassom, and Marshall. Her grandchildren are Christy Fees, Josh Wassom, Joseph Wassom, Jared Stark, David Van Winkle, Matthew Van Winkle, and Zachary Van Winkle. Her great grandchildren include Alex Fees, Rylee and Jordan Stark, and Tallulah Wassom. Clara lived many places throughout her life as her husband Earl was a career military man. The family lived in many locations including Illinois, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Arizona, Nebraska, South Dakota, Japan, and Georgia before settling back in Nowata after retiring. She is survived by a sister Phyliss Anderson, sons Bradly, Stephen, Gavin, and Marshall VanWinkle, daughter, Hope Wassom; Grandchildren, Christy Fees, Joseph Wassom, Jared Stark, David and Zach Vanwinkle, Matthew Van Winkle; many other relatives and a host of friends. She was preceded in Death by husband Earl, Father Roy Wilkinson, Mother Dixie Wilkinson; brothers Mike Wilkinson, Eugene Wilkinson; sister Luann Green and a grand- son, Joshua Wassom.

Service Details

Thursday, March 23rd, 2017 2:00pm, Benjamin Funeral Home