Annetta Tanner Wilkinson, longtime resident of McDermitt, passed away peacefully at the age of 80 on Jan. 8, 2013, at her current home in Nampa, Idaho.
Annetta was born on March 28, 1932, in St. George, Utah, to Ernest Tanner and Stella Cripps Tanner. Annetta, her older brother (Fred), and younger sister (Sherwan) were raised in Washington, Utah, in a house that her grandfather built.
Annetta always had an eye for fashion. When she was a young girl she would go to JC Penney's Department Store to look at the latest styles and bring home ideas and patterns for her mom to make. Annetta was always dressed to the tee and never felt completely dressed without her earrings adding the final touch to her outfit of the day. George often teased her about the time it took to get her hair looking juuussst right and Annetta would never venture out without every hair being in place.
Annetta was born with the red sand of Dixie between her toes and joyfully spent her childhood years tromping about Washington. Later, while attending Woodward High School, a great looking guy who always wore fantastic homemade sweaters (the fashion of the day) caught her eye and soon George Wilkinson and Annetta became an inseparable pair in the Washington community. "Those sweaters were always beautiful," she would later say. This was the beginning of a long love story, one of romance and companionship that has lasted 63 years.
On Sept. 17, 1949, they were married in the St. George, Utah LDS Temple and then moved to the ranch in McDermitt where they would soon start a family.
Although the wilds of Nevada were a far cry from what she had known in Utah, Annetta quickly learned to love ranch life and created a life for her husband and children that was full of joy and happiness. Annetta and George raised five wonderful children. Although Annetta enjoyed helping with the tasks of rural ranch life such as cooking great meals during the summer haying and branding seasons for the ranching crews, helping drive teams of horses for winter cattle feeding, operating machinery and riding horseback, she never lost sight of the fact that her first responsibility was making sure her family was taken care of.
Without complaint or remorse, Annetta completed her daily routines but was never too busy to attend a ball game or school play or any other event which kept her very involved in her children's school events and later, as the family became more dispersed, in their lives in general. She enjoyed nothing more than playing and spending time with their kids, grandkids, and great grand kids but she was always there to lend an ear, or a helping hand, when times got rough or her family needed her.
Annetta was always very involved in the small, but close, McDermitt community. She loved dressing up to go to swanky events but was just as comfortable "dressing down" for Halloween, community skits, and other events. She loved making her own costumes and the more outrageous the better as long as it drew attention to the fun side of her personality. Why she even got George to costume up a few times.
Anyone who knew Annetta would say that she was truly a remarkable lady whose life made a significant impact on many other lives. She always knew how to bring laughter and smiles to a room and was content with either being in the limelight or standing on the sidelines offering her support.
In her later years, when the rigors of ranch life demanded less and less of her time, Annetta enjoyed time with George traveling to see the country and vigorously maintaining contacts and relationships with her family and friends. Her later years were filled with happiness and contentment, which only too deserved for a lady that had given so much to all those she knew.
Annetta was a very special lady and she will be greatly missed.
Annetta is survived by her husband George Wilkinson and their children Kimble Wilkinson (Susan), Sharon Jurado, Doug Wilkinson (Annett), Ned Wilkinson (Jacque), Penny Wilkinson (Randy Robbins) and their families, which include 16 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren
A viewing for Annetta will be held at the McDermitt Community Center at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013, with funeral services to begin at 11 a.m. and dinner in the same building to follow internment at the McDermitt Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to one of two charities: the McDermitt Cemetary Fund, P.O. Box 356, McDermitt, NV 89421, or the charity of your choice. Services are under the direction of the Nampa Funeral Home, Yraguen Chapel and an online guest book may be signed at www.nampafuneralhome.com
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