Cona Mae (Harper) Winkel, Bloomington, IN…Loving family at her side, in the early morning hour, Thursday, April 9, 2015, Cona Mae (Harper) Winkel, 84, peacefully departed this earthly home for her joyous Heavenly reunion.
Born January 30, 1931, in Datto, Arkansas, she was the first of four daughters born to Alvin and Jessie (Morrison) Harper. Cona Mae and younger sister, Norma Faye, (two years apart) were their Daddy’s helpers in the cotton fields. At ages 14 and 12 the girls were baptized together in Kennett, MO, and began their life-long journey as members of the Church of Christ.
The family moved to Indiana in the late 1940’s, and as a teen Cona worked at the Post Office Café in Anderson. There she met and later married Douglas Hughes. As a young mother, Cona worked part-time selling Stanley Home Products, before eventually joining Delco Remy-General Motors.
After her first marriage ended in 1962, she later married Raymond Winkel. Together for 42 years, they formed one of the first “blended families” of the 60’s with nine children between them. Overcoming many challenges and obstacles, the family enjoyed many years of happy memories at “the Farm”, Ray’s boyhood home in the southern Indiana hills of Shoals. They purchased the home and 80 acres for their retirement.
They say…”you can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl’, and Cona Mae was a hard-working country kinda gal. She loved nature and being outdoors. She looked so forward to spring, planting flowers and working their huge garden. When the grandchildren visited they were put to work picking and breaking beans, and were thrilled to be part of the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays! Oh yes, did I mention she could cook?! “You want butter under it or ice cream over it,” she’d ask when serving her mouth-watering cobbler!
Cona and Ray’s other passion….camping and fishing (with nine kids no less), are you kidding me! Cona operated like a well-oiled machine! Whether it be having dinner prepared before leaving for church, or fixing meals for eleven in the great outdoors…she was unbelievable!! Beautifully determined, organized, unstoppable, on in a million.
August, 2001, they headed to Anderson to have lunch with Ray’s sister and brother-in-law, Hazel and Charlie Dickmann. A car crash…their lives were changed forever. Cona received the most serious injuries. She bravely faced and conquered months of rehab! Moving back to Anderson, they located in Red Bud Estates and eventually moved in with their son, Tim.
Cona was preceded in death by her parents; spouse, Raymond; daughter, Mickey (Hughes) Parsons; son, Randy Hughes; granddaughter, Cheree Hughes; infant grandson, Jade Swanson and grandson, Jamie Lunsford.
Surviving are, son Tim Winkel; daughters, Vickie (Hughes) Robinson and Tammy Hughes; sisters, Norma Musick, Patsy Smith (Ray), Wilma English (Kenny); grandchildren, Hank Swanson (Annette) with Dax, Lexi, Jade; Heidi Horton with Lizzi, Ashli, Kash; Travis Lunsford with Dylan; Michelle Hughes with Jayden, Navin; Justin Hughes with Kinley; Aleshia Robbins (Nate); Dusten Henderson (Samantha) with Kyla, Marissa, Dakota; great-grandaughter, Shelby Kirkwood (Ben) with great-great grandchildren Bennett, Aubrey; great grandchildren Hayley Bragg and Colin Lunsford. Special friends, Jim and Jean Kendall with Virginia, Rex, Kerrie; several nieces, nephews, cousins.
A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at noon with visitation from 11:00 a.m. until time of service at Columbus Ave Church of Christ, Anderson, Indiana. Memorial contributions may be made to the Columbus Ave Church of Christ.