Clarisse Winkler

Clarisse Anita Birk Winkler, age 100 years, was born on January 23, 1912 to Clara Muskopf Birk and Otto Fredrick Birk in St. Louis, Missouri. She died on May 15, 2012 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on the Adams Place campus where she lived for the last year before her death. She was a native of St. Louis and loved her home in Webster Groves.

Clarisse attended Hodgen Elementary School, McKinley Junior High School, and graduated in 1930 from Roosevelt High School. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree from Harris Teachers College in 1936 and taught for St. Louis Public Schools (Scruggs School) and Maplewood Public Schools (Lyndover School) before and after her marriage to Norman R. Winkler in1940. In 1947 her only child, Ellen, was born and the family moved to Savannah, Tennessee for 2 years. Returning to St. Louis, the Winklers bought a home in the lovely St. Louis suburb of Webster Groves where they lived for the next 50 years. Clarisse taught school at Mesnier Elementary in Affton from 1959-1977 where she retired. After moving to Laclede Groves Independent Living Community in 2001, Clarisse continued to tutor and mentor children from local elementary schools.

A faithful 60 year member of First Congregational Church of Webster Groves, Clarisse participated in the Women’s Association, SAGE, EC’s, Laura Ingles Guild, First Friends, and taught Sunday school for years. She was a Girl Scout troop leader and volunteered with pet therapy at Bethesda Dilworth Memorial Home in the Animal-People Partnership. She also served as the vice-president of the Bethesda Auxiliary, devoting hundreds of hours of service there over a 20 year period. Clarisse was a member of the Alpha Sigma Tau sorority since her college days, remained active, and was chosen Top Tau in 2006. Playing bridge was her passion all of her adult life and remained so even into her twilight years. After retirement, Clarisse and Norm loved to travel, and she continued her travels with friends after his death.

Clarisse was preceded in death by her parents and, Norm, her husband of 51 years. Survivors include her daughter, Dr. Ellen (Richard) Slicker of Murfreesboro, TN, her grandsons Gregory (Erin) Slicker of Leawood, KS, and Timothy (Kerry) Slicker of Murfreesboro, TN, four great grandchildren, Ainsley, Benjamin, McKinsley, and Ella Slicker, her sister, Catherine (Byron, deceased) Milligan of Tucson, AZ, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Visitation will be on Sunday, May 20, 5:00-8:00 PM at Gerber Chapel, 23 W. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves. The funeral service will be on Monday, May 21, 10:00 AM at First Congregational Church (UCC) of Webster Groves, 10 W. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, MO 63119; interment will follow. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to First Congregational Church of Webster Groves, or to the Winkler-Slicker Professional Counseling Scholarship Fund c/o MTSU Foundation, Middle Tennessee State University, P. O. Box 109, Murfreesboro, TN 37132.