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Nelda Mayfield Wilkinson went to be with her Lord on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024.

She was born March 8, 1937, in Mayfield, daughter of John F. and Ercy Brown Mayfield.

She attended elementary school at the old Mayfield School in Mayfield and graduated from Patton High School in 1955.

Nelda gave her life to Christ and was baptized in 1950 by Leo Thurston in the creek behind Church of Christ in Marble Hill. She was a member of the Senior Sunday School Class at Cape Bible Chapel.

She met her soulmate, Franklin "Frankie" Wilkinson in 1951. On Nov. 26, 1955, they were married in Church of Christ in Marble Hill. They had 64 wonderful years together before Frankie went to his new home in 2018.

In the early 1960s, after Frankie graduated from Hadley Tech in St. Louis, the family moved to Patton to their little 30-acre farm. Frankie purchased a service station known as Frank's Gulf Service in Cape Girardeau.

Nelda and Frankie were parents to two sons, Ricke and Randy. She was a homemaker and bookkeeper for her husband's business, a Cub Scout leader and Sunday school teacher.

In the mid '60s, she and Frankie purchased an RV. They were blessed to be able to take the boys on many trips and visited all 48 states in the RV.

In the mid-'70s, Frankie retired. This gave them the opportunity to travel outside the United States. During the next several years, they were privileged to travel to 18 different countries. In later years they were blessed to spend their winters in Texas.

The foreign travels led Nelda to her hobby of collecting writing/advertising pens. This hobby continued until her death with her collection reaching 24,195 pens. She also had an interest in genealogy.

She is survived by two sons, Ricke (Suzann) Wilkinson of Floyds Knobs, Indiana, and Randy Wilkinson of Cape Girardeau; grandchildren, Jessica (Jeremy) Myers of Wentzville, Jordan (Isabel) Wilkinson of St. Louis, Danny Wilkinson of Floyds Knobs and Katelyn (Jonty) Singh of Las Vegas. There are six great-grandchildren, Jaelyn, Jackson and Julia Myers in Wentzville, Leopold and Oliver Willdnson in St. Louis and Hradhaan Singh.

Waiting for her in heaven is her beloved Frankie, who went ahead in 2018, and her beautiful little granddaughter, Justine, who has been waiting since 1987. Also preceding her were her father, John F. Mayfield, 1887-1968, and her mother, Ercy Brown Mayfield, 1897-1960.

Nelda was the last sibling of her family. Also preceding her were three brothers, Eston Mayfield, 1915-1995, Marrel "Toots" Mayfield, 1919-2007, and Don Mayfield, 1940-2017; and a sister, Alene Mayfield Cook, 1922-1990.

A wake will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home.

A graveside service will follow at Cape County Memorial Park Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the charity of your choice.