Dorothy D. Wilkes

Dorothy D. Wilkes March 28, 1921 – September 3, 2004 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 Dorothy Dean Wilkes, of Austin, passed away at her daughter’s home early in the morning September 3, 2004. In the last nine months of her life this dear, beautiful lady suffered many afflictions and hospitalizations, which she endured with increasing patience, courage, and grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. Born and reared in Lakeland, Florida, in 1940 Dorothy married a young railroad freight agent, Gardner J. Wilkes, and moved with him to cities up and down the Missouri Pacific line, including Helena, Arkansas, Dallas, Little Rock, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. Following her husband’s death in 1978, she moved to be near her daughter first to Edmond, Okla., and then to Austin in 1986. Dorothy was a life-long faithful member of the Church of Christ. When she moved to Austin she placed her membership at Westover Hills Church of Christ. She was a serious student of the Bible and participated in the North Austin Bible Study Fellowship Class and Precept Bible Study at First Evangelical Free Church. By profession Dorothy was an excellent secretary of the old school, dictation-taking generation. She quit working to be at home to rear her children, but when she was widowed in 1978 she went back to school to master the use of the electric typewriter. She worked for five years for Fleming Foods in Oklahoma City until her retirement in 1986. Dorothy enjoyed Bible study, reading, volunteering at church, bridge, politics, cats, crossword puzzles, and all things chocolate. At age 60 she fulfilled her dream of taking horseback riding lessons. Despite her fragile health, she was a regular at Gold’s Gym on Burnet Road up to age of 80. Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents Harry C. Dwiggins and Bessie Beasley both of middle Tennessee, and by her husband, Gardner Jewell Wilkes, of Jacksonville, Fla. She is survived by her sister, Betty Marston of Mountain Home, Ark.; her son and daughter-in-law Jon and Sylvia Wilkes of Little Rock, Ark., and by her daughter and son-in-law Marty and Dr. Bruce Hurt, of Austin; her grandchildren Michael, Justin, and Lisa Wilkes, Dr. Joel Hurt, Meredith Hurt Davidson, Wes Hurt, and Lauren Hurt. She leaves behind many friends from the Westover Hills Church of Christ, the Closer Walk Sunday School Class, Bible Study Fellowship, Precept Bible Study, The Summit at Northwest Hills, and her surviving bridge group members Carolyn Powe and Peggy Rodrigues. Special family friends include Pastor Terry Thomley, Gene and Lucretia Patterson, Tom and Brenda Loper, and Grady and Marilyn Metcalf. Many thanks and all God’s blessing to Dr. Leonor Frierson-Stroud and her staff, to the specialty physicians and staff of Seton Main and Seton Northwest Hospitals, and to caregiver Jeanette Reynolds. The family will receive friends Saturday, September 4 from 5-7 P.M. at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at Westover Hills Church of Christ, Sunday, September 5, at 2:30 P.M., followed by a cookie reception and private burial at Austin Memorial Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Westover Hills Church of Christ or to the American Lung Association. Arrangements by Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 3125 N. Lamar, Austin, TX 78705 – (512) 452-8811. You may view memorials online at wcfish.com