Frances Maxine (Baldwin) Winkle

Frances was born on September 7, 1928 in Halstead, Kansas to parents Don and Mina (Minnie) Baldwin of Independence, MO. She had one sister, Faye Margaret (Baldwin) Coffman, who preceded her in death. Her childhood and youth were filled with working in her father’s garden, numerous family trips, and playing softball on a boys’ team. In junior high and high school, she dabbled in part time jobs including working at an ice cream parlor and as a cashier at a five-and-dime store. She studied at Central Missouri in Warrensburg, but returned to Kansas City after she met a charming young veteran, Harold Winkle, after he returned from WWII. They met through mutual friends JoAnn Givens, Harry Rice, and Bill Hart. Frances and Harold double-dated with JoAnn and Harry and enjoyed midget car races with Harold’s cousin Richard Randall at Olympic Stadium. Frances became a switchboard operator for Charles D Williams Insurance while she dated Harold. They were married on November 8, 1947, just 11 months after meeting. Three years later in 1950 Harold and his partner Jim McNerney started their own business, North Kansas City Carpet and Linoleum. Frances was a frequent assistant with bookkeeping, sales, and other aspects of the business. Harold and Frances raised a family of 3 children while living in Kansas City North. During that time and into retirement, Harold and Frances loved to travel all over the US and to many other countries. With the children gone, Harold and Frances moved to Liberty where they retired. Neighbors there knew them as active members on Liberty Hills Country Club with wonderful years sharing a passion for golf, friends, and their winter home in Green Valley, Arizona. Frances became a cornerstone of activity at the country club by serving 3 years on the board of directors as the exceptionally successful social director. Besides golfing, retirement meant more time to spend on her talents with arts and crafts. Frances was an accomplished painter, sculptor, home decorator, and exquisite silversmith. She liked to call herself “The Crafty Lady”, which was a most fitting title. She excelled at most any hobby that involved handiwork with more sewing, knitting, croqueting, cross-stitching, etc. projects than you can count. But Frances’s most pleasure during retirement came from watching her grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up.

To Harold, Frances is the woman-who-knew-no-strangers. She was most comfortable in social settings and always anxious to meet new friends. Frances loved parties, conversations, golf events, and shopping or anything with her friends. But she also was natural with people she did not know; striking up a conversation with any new face was fun for her no matter where she was.

Her husband, Harold, preceded Frances in death. They were married for 73 years. Frances is survived by her three children and their families: daughter and spouse, Janis and Bob Macoubrie; 2 sons and spouses, Mark and Jeannine Winkle, Michael and Kyle Winkle; 6 grandchildren (Janis’s children Jennifer Emery and Jeff Macoubrie, Mark’s children Matthew and Elizabeth Winkle, Michael’s children Adam Winkle and Anna Filbert); and 7 great-grandchildren (Jennifer’s daughter Jillian, Jeff’s daughters Sarah and Alexandra, Anna’s son Elijah, Adam’s daughter Natalie, and Matthew’s sons Owen and Jack).

A visitation service will be held 10:00 am on Wednesday, June 2rd, at Floral Hills Funeral Home at 7000 Blue Ridge Blvd., Kansas City, MO. The funeral and burial will be conducted immediately afterwards at the same location. Memorial donations may be sent to Shriners Hospital for Children, Office of Development, 2900 Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, FL 33607.

Please remember Frances as a devoted wife and mother, volunteer, craftswoman, and true friend.