Obituary of Nancy Mires Wilkinson

Pioneer Ranch Woman Dies at Her Menard County Home

As published in the Fort Worth Star Telegram

MENARD, July 16, 1955— Mrs. W. J. Wilkinson, Sr., 95 a pioneer Menard County ranch woman, who died at 4 a.m. Friday at her Clear Creek Ranch home eight miles west of Menard, was buried Saturday in Pioneer Rest Cemetery here.

Funeral Services were held at the First Presbyterian Church.

Mrs. Wilkinson and her husband were credited with introducing sheep-raising into Menard County.  After his death in 1919, she operated the ranch herself for many years.

She was one of the most enthusiastic of the thousands of West Texas visitors who drove to Fort Worth for the Casa Manana and other Texas Centennial attractions in 1936.

The former Nancy Mires, Mrs. Wilkinson was born in Henderson, February 7, 1860, and came with her parents as a young girl to a farm on the San Saba River, near here.

She is survived by seven sons, Lamar, Ernest, Frank, Arch, Charlie and W. J. Wilkinson, all Menard County ranch men, and Edgar Wilkinson of San Angelo; a daughter, Mrs. Ed L. Mears, Sr. of Menard; a sister, Mrs. Fannie Fury of Christoval; 16 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

From 1936 photo:

Mrs. W. J. Wilkinson, Sr.