Mildred Wilcox of Springfield passed away Tuesday, March 16 at Culpepper Place in Springfield, Missouri. Mildred was born, July 5, 1911 in Boonville, Mo. to Charles F. and Julia Stammerjohn Durr. She attended school in Boonville and her college years in Warrensburg, Missouri, at Central Missouri State University. She married Roy T. Wilcox, also from Boonville, in 1933. Together they owned and published newspapers in several Missouri cities. In 1963, after moving to Springfield, Mrs. Wilcox began what was to be 40 years of service to Missouri State University, which was then Southwest Missouri State University. Beginning as secretary to Dr. Duane Meyer, Dean of Faculties and Provost, she continued in her full-time position until 1978 when she retired but continued working on campus part-time, at first for 5 years in the Center for Archeological Research, and after that in Human Resources and Management Development Institute within the College of Business. She continued in Human Resources until November, 2003; when at age 92 she retired in order to facilitate a knee replacement. Mrs. Wilcox was devoted to the University. Her work was focused, tireless, accurate and always done to support whomever she was working for at the time-never herself. A scholarship in the School of Nursing bears her husband's name and is given every year to a deserving nursing student. She is a member of the MSU Foundation and many departments throughout the university have benefitted from her generous giving. At the 2002 Homecoming banquet, Mrs. Wilcox received from the SMSU Alumni Association their Award of Appreciation for Outstanding Service to the University. In 2003, she was honored with induction to the Missouri State Wall of Fame. Mildred will be buried in the Walnut Grove Cemetery in Boonville, Mo., beside her beloved husband, Roy T Wilcox on Thursday, April 1. A memorial service will be held on Saturday morning, April 3, at 10 a.m. at the Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home in Springfield. Memorial contributions should be made to the Missouri State Foundation.
