Winifred Jane (McHenry) Garlow, age 102, died September 14, 2023, in San Diego, California. She died peacefully surrounded by her three children at BonitaView Hospice House. She was born on May 27, 1921, on a farm near Cameron, Missouri, to Lester Earl and Elsie Grace (Madison) McHenry. She attended Mt. Pleasant and Wamsley Rural Grade Schools in DeKalb County Missouri, and later District 21 (Pleasant Valley) Grade School in Cloud County Kansas. She moved with her parents when she was twelve years old to a farm near Ames, Kansas. She graduated from Clyde, Kansas High School in 1939. Growing up she and her two sisters were known for their beautiful harmony as the McHenry Sisters Trio.
On April 5, 1940, she married James Burtis Garlow at Morgan Chapel Wesleyan Church (a rural church). They farmed in the Ames community. While farming, the family received the Cloud County Balanced Farm Award in 1956.
Winifred loved to tell the story of how she and Burtis met. At age 12, Winifred moved with her parents and two sisters, to a farm near Ames, Kansas (about 200 miles west of Kansas City), to the same rural school district that the Garlows attended. She was in the 7th grade with Burtis’ youngest sister and would frequently get to go home with his sister and see Burtis. He had graduated from high school the year before. She fell in love with Burtis when she was 12 years old. They started dating when she was 16, and then married when she was 18 and he was 24.
In 1965, Winifred and Burtis organized a quartet called the AstroNotes, composed of their twin sons Bob and Bill age 9, nephew Don Garlow age 10, and their pastor’s son Daniel Seitz age 9, singing only sacred music. They were often joined by brother Jim (guitar), sister Judy (piano) cousin Janet (piano), brother-in-law Dick (bass guitar) and Winifred occasionally soloed. They traveled for 8 ½ years over 9 states, singing in over 500 concerts.
Following retirement from farming in 1981, they moved to various locations to be near their three children. This included two years in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; one year in Olathe, Kansas (Kansas City area); and 12 years in Bedford, Texas (Dallas-Forth Worth area).
Winifred helped Burtis with farming and she did not work outside the home until 1981 after moving to Oklahoma City. At age 61, she took a secretarial course for one year at the then new Francis Tuttle Vo-Tec School in Oklahoma City. She went to work for Kelly Services. Then while living back in Olathe, she took a course at Johnson County Community College, learning the computer. They later moved to Dallas/Fort Worth area where their son, Jim, had started a new church. Winifred, at age 63, was Jim’s church administrative assistant, before going to work in Dallas at the Headquarters of American Airlines in the Consumer Relations Department. Winifred and Burtis enjoyed flying on many trips.
After her retirement at age 75, in May 1996, they moved to La Mesa, California in the San Diego area, where their son Jim had become Senior Pastor of Skyline Wesleyan Church.
In retirement, Winifred enjoyed doing transcription work for Skyline Church and her son Jim’s books, and for her daughter Judy’s book. She enjoyed crocheting, knitting, making quilts, reading and jigsaw puzzles. She especially enjoyed being with her family. She also had a passion for roses and watching her hummingbirds.
Winifred was a longtime member of the Wesleyan Church and served the Kansas District as Secretary of the Women’s Missionary Society. Winifred, along with her husband, Burtis, was a charter member of The Gideons International of the Concordia, Kansas Camp in 1969 and she served as a local and state officer in the Kansas Gideon Auxiliary. She served as secretary/treasurer of the PTA at Rural District 6 and Concordia Lincoln School where their children attended. She was a member of the La Mesa (California) Gideon Auxiliary Camp and served as Scripture Distribution Secretary.
At age 101, She received Oklahoma Wesleyan University Honorary Alumnus Award of 2022 for support of Christian Education, for raising support for youth to attend a Christian college. They sent all four of their children to Christian Schools.
She was on the Well Versed – World Prayer Network Prayer Calls without fail for almost three years twice a week, three hours each time, until her homegoing.
Survivors include their children, daughter Judy Garlow Wade, La Mesa, California; two sons: Dr. Jim Garlow (Rosemary), El Cajon, California; Dr. Bill Garlow (Laurie), Salina, Kansas; 12 grandchildren; 24 great grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, James Burtis Garlow in 1998; daughter Jane Ann, age 10 ½ months in 1942; son Robert (Bob) Earl Garlow, age 19 in 1974; one grandson, Christopher William Garlow, age 21 in 2009; daughter-in-law, Carol Jane Garlow in 2013; son-in-law Keat Wade, on Aug 27, 2023; and two sisters: Vivian Crouse, age 91 in 2011, Betty Sessoms age 97 in 2020. She was the last surviving member of the Joshua and Ruby (Cyre) Garlow family of eight Garlow siblings and their eight spouses.
Two Memorials will be held: at Skyline Wesleyan, La Mesa, California on Thursday evening September 21, 6pm viewing; 6:30pm service; 8pm desserts; then at Concordia Wesleyan Church, Concordia, Kansas on Sunday afternoon, September 24, 2:00pm viewing; 2:30pm funeral; 4:30 burial at Walnut Grove Cemetery, Ames, Kansas, on a hill overlooking the farmstead where she and her husband raised their family.
Donations can be made to Gideons International (www.sendtheword.org) or the Winifred Garlow Memorial Well Versed “Next Generation” Fund (www.WellVersedWorld.org).
For online condolences please visit Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home & Cremation Services : Concordia, Kansas (KS)
