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Obituary: Sally D. Wilcox

May 9, 2007

Services for Sally D. Wilcox, 85, Winfield, were April 11 at Grace Episcopal Church in Winfield.

She died Sunday, April 8, 2007, at Winfield Rest Haven Nursing Home.

Mrs. Wilcox was born July 19, 1921, in Neosho, Mo., the daughter of Oscar B. and Hazel Kirke (McKenzie) Dutton. She was raised and educated in Tonganoxie. Mrs. Wilcox graduated from Tonganoxie High School in 1939, attended Kansas City Kansas Community College and Hutchinson Community College in 1966 and Famous Writers College in 1969. She received a bachelor’s degree from Sterling College in 1969 and a master’s degree from Southwestern College in Winfield in 1992. Mrs. Wilcox also attended the Kansas School of Ministry in 2005 and was ordained a deacon in the Episcopal Church in 2006.

She had a variety of work experience, serving as a medical secretary at the University of Oklahoma Hospitals and Camp Swift Regional Army Hospital. In addition, she worked for Jayhawk Family Physician. In the field of writing, Mrs. Wilcox worked in English composition and journalism instruction and was a free-lance and column and news writer for the Winfield Courier and Kansas Senior Press Service from 1990 to the present. She received many honors for her writing and service to the community, which included National Honor Society, National Safety Society Carol Lane Award, BPW Winfield Woman of the Year and First Citizen Award, Corner Bank.

She was awarded 19 awards by Kansas Press Women and three first-place awards from the National Press Women’s Association.

Mrs. Wilcox was an active member of Grace Episcopal Church in Winfield, where she was a Sunday school teacher, altar guild member and lector. She was president of the altar guild in 1988 and became deacon in 2006.

In civic affairs, Mrs. Wilcox was served as president, chairperson or officer in: Reno and Kansas Medical Auxiliary, BPW, American Legion Auxiliary, Soroptomists, Cowley County Historical Society, Winfield Mainstreet Design and the National and Kansas Press Women associations.

She married John Bennett Jarrott on May 5, 1940. They were divorced, and he died in 1994. She married Gene Melvin Wilcox on Dec. 22, 1973. He died in 1999. A stepson, Philip G. Wilcox, also died earlier.

Survivors include two daughters, Sally Sue White and Linda Lee Jarrott; a son, John Bennett Jarrott Jr.; a stepson, Hal D. Wilcox; a stepdaughter, Laura L. Kretschmer; a brother, O.B. Dutton; six grandchildren; seven stepgrandchildren; six great-grandchildren and six stepgreat-grandchildren.

Swisher, Taylor and Morris Funeral Home, Winfield, handled arrangements.