Frances Wilkinson

Frances Marilyn (Varney) Wilkinson was called to heaven on April 18, 2012. She was born near Neosho, Missouri May 23, 1935.She was the second youngest of 8 children. She grew up on a farm, and worked the land alongside her dad, Leo Varney and her mom Fannie Brooks Varney, brothers and sisters. She graduated from Seneca High School in 1953 and headed west to Arizona, where some of her sisters and family already lived. There she met Robert (Bob) Wilkinson and married him in 1954. Her first son, Rob was born in 55, Sharon in 59 and in 62 they moved to Cameron, Arizona. Both she and Bob worked at the trading post there, Bob running the Chevron Service Station, and Frances working as a secretary and bookkeeper at the Cameron Trading Post. Her 3rd child, was born while they lived in Cameron in 1964 and in 1967, the year Laurie was born, the couple took their family to Kayenta to open their own Chevron station. They owned the Chevron and various other businesses until about 1995 when they semi-retired, and moved to Phoenix. They still owned another business in Tsalie, Arizona which they opened in 1980, and occasionally, they would travel to Tsaile to work at Wilkinson’s Tsaile Tading Post. The sold that business in early 2001. Both Bob and Frances have faced many health challenges over the years. On April 18, 2012, Frances was called home to heaven. We all miss her and always will. Frances is survived by her husband of 58 years, Bob, her sons Rob, and Dave, her daughters Sharon and Laurie, 13 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren, and lots of nieces and nephews. She is also survived by 2 sisters, Ruth and Alberta, who live in Phoenix, and her brothers Jack who lives in Florida, and Dan who lives in California. She has joined her mom and dad, her sisters Katherine, Della, and Charlotte in heaven. We love you mom…..Thank you for all of the strength you have passed onto us. Visitation 5-7 p.m. Monday, April 23, 2012 with funeral services at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at Menke Funeral & Cremation Center Chapel.