Elinor Pearl Wilcox
Obituary
Eugene, Ore.
Former Newton resident Elinor Pearl Wilcox died unexpectedly
at her home in Corvallis, Ore., on Tuesday (June 19, 2012). She was 86 years
old. She was born near Eugene, Ore., July 19, 1925 to Dewey Wood and Dorothy
Barnes Wood DeFord. On Aug. 31, 1943, she was united in marriage to Harold E.
Wilcox of Peabody.
Elinor was a homemaker, a mother of three and a coordinator for
the ENLITE program at the Newton Public Library where she enjoyed sharing her
love of literature with her elderly and shut-in patrons.
Following the death of her husband, she returned to her
childhood home in Oregon in 1991. There she worked as a volunteer for the
public library and mentored individuals through Community Outreach Inc. She
enjoyed visiting the coast, taking drives through the mountains, growing plants
and flowers and eating with her “lunch bunch ladies.”
She is preceded in death by her husband, Harold, and by her
brothers Victor and Lloyd Wood. Her survivors include her children: Doug and
wife Kathy Wilcox of Wichita, Cathy and husband Dan Dietrich of Riverside,
Calif., and Cheryl and husband Keith Jost of Hillsboro; six grandchildren, Christopher
Wilcox of Dodge’s Ferry, Tasmania, Australia, Stephanie and husband Glen Carter
of Easton, Brooke and husband Ken Haas and Ryan and wife Tammy Dietrich all of
Lancaster, Calif., Meghan Jost and Alex Jost of Hillsboro; four
great-grandchildren, Tyler and Hannah Haas of Lancaster, Calif., and Keenan and
Ava Pearl Wilcox of Dodge’s Ferry, Tasmania, Australia; sisters Elizabeth Goos
of Mulino, Ore., and Jeanne Van Zandt of Penn.; and many nieces and nephews.
Following cremation, services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at
DeMoss-Durdan Funeral Home in Corvallis. A memorial fund has been established
to benefit Community Outreach Inc.; donations may be sent in care of the
funeral home.
