Patricia Jean Winfrey

Patricia Jean Winfrey, a cherished resident of Garnett, KS, passed from this Earth on September 20, 2020, at the Lincoln Community Care Center in Lincoln, Missouri at the age of 88.

Pat was born on March 16, 1932, in McPherson, KS, the youngest of 5 children. Growing up she honed a love of animals and people, so when she married Ed Winfrey in 1950, she was his perfect match to bring home a herd of black Angus cattle to their 40 acre farm east of Garnett. Adopting their three children completed their family, and filled their home with love and laughter. Pat was famous for her contagious laugh, as well as her kind and generous heart, but was known best for her way with people. In the 1970s she opened her own realty agency, and spent the next four decades understanding the needs and meeting the challenges of all those she helped find homes for in her community. Pat was an active leader in the Star Shooting 4H club, teaching the boys to cook as well as being a role model for girls who wanted to be independent and successful. Everyone listened to her calm, no-nonsense voice, even her big black Angus bull, Bob, who she could lead around anywhere by the nose. She was never afraid of hard work, striving to improve things not only on the farm, but in her community as well. She served on the Hospital and Senior Center boards, among others, and quietly contributed to various community endeavors over her 60 years in Garnett. After Ed passed, Pat found love a second time, and married John Thomas, who joined Pat in traveling to far away places, and shared with her his four grown children to love. She was a member of the Red Hat Ladies and won many awards for the beautiful quilts she made. Her greatest achievement was the “quilt” she lovingly crafted of her family and friends, because she always held each one close to her heart.

In addition to her parents and siblings, Pat was preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Edward L Winfrey.

She is survived by her second husband, John R Thomas; her sister-in-law Nan Pitts; her sons Paul Lee Winfrey Sr (wife Shari Winfrey) and Edward Lee Winfrey and daughter Lee Anne Frazier (husband Eric Frazier); step-children Mitch Thomas, Debbie Thomas, David Thomas (wife Kathy Thomas) and Stephen Thomas; her grandchildren Paul Winfrey Jr (wife Amy Winfrey), Joseph Winfrey and Beth Reavis; niece Pat Masingill; and many great grandchildren, nieces, nephews and their families.

A memorial service will be held at Feuerborn Memorial Chapel on Saturday, September 26 at 10:30am. In lieu of flowers, the family would ask for donations to be made to the Garnett Senior Center in the name of Pat Winfrey.