Kay Wilkison was born on December 26, 1924 in Worthington, Minnesota to Carl and Anna Lindberg Olson. She grew up in Worthington until 1935 when the family moved to farm near Avoca, MN. While in high school Kay worked at the S & L in Slayton and later at the A & W Drive Inn in Tracy, MN. Kay graduated from Slayton High School. On December 12, 1944 she and George Wilkison were married in Worthington. Following their marriage they farmed near Fulda, MN until 1948 when they moved to a farm near Avoca. In 1950 they moved to a farm near Garvin, MN. Kay worked at the ASC office in Slayton. In 1973 Kay started working for the United States Post Office as a clerk in the Garvin Post Office. She later worked as a clerk in Slayton, Iona, and Windom. She served as Post Master in Amiret, Holland, Hadley and Lismore retiring in 1989. Retirement was short lived for Kay as she started working for the Schwans Call Center in Marshall retiring in 2001. George passed away on June 12, 1999. Kay remained on the farm until 2007 when she moved to Redwood Falls. In April 2019 Kay became a resident of the Wood Dale Nursing Home in Redwood Falls. She passed away there on Wednesday, February 26, 2020 at the age of 95. She was a member of Lake Sarah Lutheran Church in Garvin. Kay also was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary Post in both Garvin and Redwood Falls. Kay served as a 4-H judge in several of the surrounding counties. She enjoyed riding horses, dancing, going thrift store shopping, listening to old time music, dining out, going to auctions, traveling and her Bunko Club.
Survivors include special friend, Don Vick of Redwood Falls, MN, her three children, Patricia Defries and Ted Vershey of Bozeman, MT, Allen Wilkison and Lois Schmidt of Tracy, MN, and Rodney and Jane Wilkison of Lynd, MN, five grandchildren, Kimberly and Kevin Montgomery, Daniel and Tina Defries, Andy and Kari Wilkison, Robert and Sarah Wilkison, and Ryan Wilkison and Jen Zerfas, eight great-grandchildren Jemma, Aidan, and Micah Montgomery, Wyatt Defries, Josh and Alex Wilkison, and Anna and Garrett Wilkison, two siblings, Joyce Larson of Slayton, MN, and Gary and Lucille Olson of Mankato, MN and several nieces and nephews and their families. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, George, and three sisters, Phyllis Holmberg, Mariett Wahl, and Donna Lange.
Funeral services will be on Monday, March 2, 2020 at Lake Sarah Lutheran Church in Garvin, MN at 10:30 a.m. Visitation will be on Sunday, March 1, 2020 at the Totzke Funeral Home in Slayton from 3-6 p.m. and also one hour prior to the services at the church on Monday. Interment is at Slayton Memorial Gardens in Slayton, MN.