Mary Violettie Wilcox , April 27, 1915 — December 11, 2018

Mary Violettie (Keller) Wilcox (103) passed away on December 11, 2018 at Unity Point Health St. Luke’s, Sioux City, Iowa following a brief illness. Mrs. Wilcox was born April 27, 1915 in Breckenridge, Minnesota to Harriet (Shaver) and Harvey A. Keller. Mary was the third of six children and spent her childhood and early adulthood in Faulk County on the Keller family farm near Faulkton, SD.

Miss Keller graduated from Faulkton High School in 1934 and later that same year earned… Read More » her teaching certificate from Northern Normal and Industrial School in Aberdeen, SD. She taught elementary school in Faulk County, SD for several years. In 1938 she came to Union County to teach in a one-room country school in the southern portion of the county.

During this time, she met the love of her life, Harold Wilcox, and the two were married on her birthday, April 27, 1940. Harold always remembered her birthday and their anniversary. The two initially lived in Elk Point until they purchased their farm in Civil Bend Township near Jefferson.

Mary and Harold raised three children, Kay (Schmitz), Larry, and Brian. In 1959 Mary returned to elementary teaching. In 1973 she was awarded her bachelor’s degree in education from the University of South Dakota.

She taught for many years at McCook School until her retirement in 1979. In 1986 the retired Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox moved to their home in Elk Point. Mrs. Wilcox and Harold were members of the United Parish in Elk Point and served in various offices.

She and Harold were active members of the Abu Bekr Shrine organization in Sioux City and she was a 50-year member of The Order of the Eastern Star. She was a member of the Women’s Wednesday Club of Elk Point. For many years the couple delivered Meals on Wheels.

Mary and Harold were charter members and volunteers for the Union County Historical Society. Mary loved gardening and cooking but her favorite way to pass time with her friends was to play cards. Mary was preceded in death by her husband Harold in 1997, three sisters, Dorothy Thelen, Millie (Mildred) Barto, Tersey (Alice Ruth) Dodds, and one brother (Kenneth).

She is survived by her youngest sister, Harriet Joyce Oleson of Inverness, FL, her three children, Marvis Kay (Jim) Schmitz of Omaha, Larry (Carmen) Wilcox of Elk Point, and Brian (Deb) Wilcox of Columbus, NE, 12 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great- grandchildren.

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