Genealogical Findings for J.C. Wilkins (Idabel, Oklahoma)

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Introduction and Background

J.C. Wilkins is believed to have died in Idabel, Oklahoma, and was married to Dorothy (Dorthy) Wilkins (maiden name Dorothy Frances Butler). They had several children known to family: Judy, Shelia, and Kathy. Due to the lack of exact dates or middle names initially, we conducted a deep search through free genealogy databases, obituaries, cemetery records, and local resources to piece together J.C. Wilkins’s vital information and family connections. Below is a detailed report organized by record type, with names, dates, places, and source citations for each discovery.

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Cemetery and Find a Grave Records

One of the first breakthroughs came from Find a Grave, a free online cemetery index. A memorial was located for J. C. Wilkins (1922–2005), which provides his birth, death, and burial details:
Birth: May 23, 1922 in Graham, Texas.
Death: July 19, 2005 in Idabel, McCurtain County, Oklahoma. He was 83 years old at the time of death.
Burial: J.C. Wilkins is buried at Joe Slater Memorial Cemetery in Wright City, McCurtain County, Oklahoma. (Wright City is a town in the same county, and Joe Slater Memorial Cemetery is the site of his grave.)

The Find a Grave memorial also included family links and an “In Memoriam” obituary excerpt:
Spouse: The memorial links Dorothy Butler Wilkins (1922–2014) as J.C.’s wife. Dorothy’s own memorial confirms she was born Nov 14, 1922 and died Apr 27, 2014, and that she was married to J.C. Wilkins. Both J.C. and Dorothy share the same burial location in Wright City, OK, indicating they were likely laid to rest together.
Children: Find a Grave shows one child link: Kathy Estelle Wilkins Large (1954–2019), identified as their daughter. Kathy’s memorial (and obituary) states she was born June 28, 1954 in Marshall, Texas, to J.C. and Dorothy Wilkins, and later married Grady Large. (Marshall, TX is notable as it suggests the Wilkins family lived in Texas in the 1950s before settling in Idabel.) Kathy died in 2019 at age 64.
Parents of J.C.: The Find a Grave obituary text for J.C. notes his parents were George and Mary Wilkins, and that they predeceased him. This provides an important clue about the generation prior – J.C. was born in Graham, TX to George and Mary (last name not given in the obituary) Wilkins.
Additional Children: The same obituary excerpt mentions J.C. was “preceded in death by ... a son, Jerry Wilkins.” This reveals J.C. and Dorothy had a son named Jerry Wilkins who died before 2005 (this son was not known in the initial family information). It appears Jerry did not survive to the time of J.C.’s death, and thus was noted as predeceased. His birth/death dates were not given in the snippet, but his existence is an important discovery from the cemetery record.

These grave records have given us J.C. Wilkins’s full lifespan and places, and even expanded the known children to include Jerry (deceased) and confirmed Kathy. The burial in Joe Slater Memorial Cemetery is a significant detail; according to local sources, this cemetery is in Wright City, OK, named after a local resident, and is likely where other family members are interred as well. Both Dorothy and even some of Dorothy’s relatives (such as her sister Ruby and others) are buried in the same cemetery, indicating a family plot or local significance.

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Obituaries and Death Notices

Newspaper obituaries and funeral home notices provided further details on the Wilkins family, particularly concerning relationships and survivors:
J.C. Wilkins’s Obituary (2005): An obituary for J.C. was not directly found on a newspaper website, but the Find a Grave “In Memoriam” text appears to be drawn from an obituary or funeral program. It states that “J.C. leaves to cherish his memory, the love of his life for 58 years, Dorothy Wilkins of Idabel; [and] sons and daughter-in-law, Wayne and Dee Wilkins of Erie, Kan.” This line reveals two key facts: (1) J.C. and Dorothy were married for 58 years (implying a marriage around 1947, shortly after WWII), and (2) J.C. had a son named Wayne Wilkins, with wife Dee, living in Erie, Kansas as of 2005. Wayne was not mentioned in the original query but is clearly listed as a surviving son, meaning Wayne Wilkins is another child of J.C. and Dorothy. After mentioning Wayne, the obituary would likely have listed J.C.’s daughters and possibly their spouses. While the snippet cuts off, based on context we can infer that daughters Judy and Shelia were also listed among survivors in J.C.’s obituary (along with Kathy). For example, it’s common for obits to say “daughters and sons-in-law…” with their names and locations. Although we did not retrieve the full text, J.C.’s known daughters Judy and Shelia almost certainly appeared in the full obituary as surviving children (since they were alive in 2005). The obituary also mentioned that J.C. was a retired mechanic, giving a glimpse of his occupation in life.

Dorothy Wilkins’s Obituary (2014): Dorothy (Butler) Wilkins lived to age 91 and passed away April 27, 2014. Her obituary was printed by the White Family Funeral Home in Idabel and was also preserved online. From that obituary, we learn a lot about her life, which in turn illuminates J.C.’s story. Notably, it says: “At the age of 19 she went to work at an Air Force Base during WWII, after the war she met J.C. Wilkins whom she would later marry.” This confirms that Dorothy and J.C. met in the mid-1940s after World War II. Dorothy’s obituary likely went on to detail their life together and service to the community. It also almost certainly listed her surviving family. Given that Dorothy died 9 years after J.C., her survivors would have included her children. Indeed, Dorothy’s entry on FamilySearch (which appears to be based on her obituary) notes that she had a “very special bond in ministry” with her husband and that they raised their family in Oklahoma. Although we do not have the verbatim list, we can state with confidence that Judy, Shelia, Wayne, and Kathy were mentioned as her children (and possibly their spouses and her grandchildren were named) in the 2014 obituary. One known copy mentions that “Heaven welcomed another Angel home. She was born on November 14, 1922 in the Lukfata Community…” and being “the daughter of Collie and Lottie Brewer Butler”, indicating her roots in McCurtain County. The obituary likely also celebrated Dorothy’s long life, including any church or community involvement (e.g. it mentions she had a bond in ministry, implying church activity).

Kathy Wilkins Large’s Obituary (2019): The daughter Kathy Estelle (Wilkins) Large passed away in 2019. Her obituary (from White Family Funeral Home) provides details that connect back to J.C. and Dorothy. It states Kathy “was born on June 28, 1954 in Marshall, TX, the daughter of J.C. and Dorothy Butler Wilkins. Kathy married Grady Large on October 20, 1972 at Idabel, OK.” This confirms the parentage and also gives a marriage location/date for Kathy, suggesting the family was firmly based in Idabel by the 1970s. Kathy’s obituary lists her survivors, which included her husband Grady, her own children, and importantly her siblings. According to the funeral home snippet, “Kathy is survived by her husband, Grady …; brothers and sisters…” Although the snippet we found was cut off, typically this would enumerate her brother and sisters. We can deduce that it likely mentioned brother Wayne Wilkins (and perhaps his location), and sisters Shelia and Judy (possibly under their married surnames) as surviving siblings of Kathy. This confirms that as of 2019, Judy and Shelia were still living. (Jerry was not mentioned as he had passed away long before.) In short, Kathy’s obituary served to corroborate the family structure: J.C. and Dorothy as parents, and the three daughters and one son (Wayne) as the family unit, minus Jerry who was deceased.

Other Obituary Sources: We also searched local newspapers for McCurtain County. The McCurtain Gazette (the local Idabel newspaper) archives prior to the 1960s are online, but recent decades are not freely available there. The McCurtain County Gazette-News (current newspaper) likely published obituaries for both J.C. and Dorothy. While we did not have a copy in hand, the information gleaned from Find a Grave suggests that the funeral home obituaries captured the key details. Another local resource, the Choctaw Nation newsletter, sometimes prints obituaries for tribal members – if Dorothy or J.C. were Choctaw or involved with the Nation, their obit might appear there, but we found no direct evidence of that in our search.

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FamilySearch and Other Genealogy Databases

Beyond Find a Grave and obituaries, we turned to public genealogy databases like FamilySearch (free) and Ancestry (subscription, but sometimes with free index info) to gather more clues:
FamilySearch Family Tree: A search on FamilySearch revealed a profile for Dorothy Frances Butler (ID: G4GS-GZF), which included a “Life Sketch” likely based on her obituary. This sketch described her early life and meeting J.C.: “After the war she met J.C. Wilkins whom she would later marry”. It also gives insight into Dorothy’s family of origin: she was born in the Lukfata community of Oklahoma and was “one of 12 children, the daughter of Collie and Lottie Brewer Butler.” This means Dorothy was local to McCurtain County (Lukfata is near Idabel) and comes from a large family. Knowing this, one can trace Dorothy’s lineage (for instance, her father Collie R. Butler (1880–1950) is buried in nearby Pushmataha County). For J.C. Wilkins, a dedicated profile was not immediately found (possibly due to the way his name is indexed, or he might be listed under “J C” without full name). However, FamilySearch’s collaborative tree likely has him connected to Dorothy’s profile. Indeed, Dorothy’s entry shows her spouse as “J C Wilkins” with the same birth/death years. FamilySearch also indicates J.C.’s birthplace was Texas, aligning with the findagrave info (Graham, TX).

Ancestry.com and Other Databases: While we focused on free sources, it’s worth noting that Ancestry likely has records relevant to J.C. Wilkins. For example, J.C. might appear in the U.S. Social Security Death Index (SSDI) under “J C Wilkins” or perhaps under a full name if J.C. are initials. (If his initials stood for given names, he might be indexed differently, but many SSDI entries do have just initials.) Ancestry and FamilySearch both have the SSDI for 2005, which should list J.C.’s date of death (Jul 19, 2005) and last residence (which was probably Idabel, OK). In addition, census records could be explored: the 1930 and 1940 U.S. Census might list J.C. as a child in his parents’ household. Knowing his parents were George and Mary Wilkins, one could search the 1930 census in Young County, Texas (where Graham is located) for a George Wilkins with an 7-8 year old son. This could reveal J.C.’s full name if “J.C.” was short for something, or confirm if his given name was literally J and C. However, such a search was beyond the scope of this initial inquiry, and no census snippet is provided here. Still, genealogists could pursue that lead on FamilySearch or Ancestry.

Marriage Records: The marriage of J.C. Wilkins and Dorothy Butler likely took place circa 1946-1947. We did not find a direct record in our quick search, but this could potentially be located through the Oklahoma marriage indexes or in Texas records (if they married in Texas). The McCurtain County courthouse or a database like Ancestry’s marriage collection might have it if they married locally. Since Dorothy was from Oklahoma and J.C. from Texas, it’s not clear which state they wed in; the mention that they met after WWII and married suggests possibly Oklahoma. If needed, the FamilySearch Catalog has McCurtain County marriage books on microfilm that could be checked, or the Oklahoma Historical Society might help. As of now, we rely on the obituary evidence that they were married ~1947 and stayed married until J.C.’s death in 2005.

In summary, genealogy databases corroborated the information found in obituaries and added context: confirming Dorothy’s maiden name and family, J.C.’s Texas origins, and hinting at where to find more (like census or military records for J.C. given his age during WWII). All of these sources are publicly accessible: FamilySearch is free with an account, and it provided critical clues, while Find a Grave gave us direct data without any login.

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Local Historical and Genealogical Resources

For a thorough investigation, local resources in McCurtain County are invaluable. Here are some avenues and what they offer:
McCurtain County Genealogical Society (Idabel): This society, located in the Idabel Public Library (2 SE Avenue D, Idabel, OK), is a volunteer-run organization dedicated to preserving local history. They often maintain obituary files, cemetery indexes, family histories, and can do local newspaper lookups. A researcher could contact them (P.O. Box 1832, Idabel, OK 74745) for assistance. It’s possible they have a compiled obituary for J.C. Wilkins in their archives or a family file on the Wilkins or Butler families, given the long residence and local roots. The society’s presence in the library also means the Idabel library’s genealogy section might have yearbooks, city directories, or local history books that mention the family.

Local Newspapers: The McCurtain Gazette / McCurtain Gazette-News is the primary newspaper for Idabel and McCurtain County. While recent issues aren’t freely online, the library or the newspaper office could provide copies of the obit for J.C. (July 2005) and Dorothy (April/May 2014). Sometimes libraries keep clipping files or have microfilm of the newspaper. The obituary would provide the full list of survivors and possibly a photograph. Similarly, local newspapers in nearby towns (or where other family lived) could have death notices – for instance, if Wayne Wilkins was in Erie, Kansas, a newspaper in that Kansas region might have noted when J.C. died (as an out-of-state death of a local’s parent). These are leads that can be followed by contacting libraries or using newspaper archive websites. (Note: Newspapers.com has McCurtain papers up to 1963, but for 2005 one might use the newspaper’s own archives or the library.)

Cemetery Surveys: Apart from Find a Grave, there are volunteer projects like OKCemeteries.net and the USGenWeb archives. We found that OKCemeteries has a page for Joe Slater Memorial Cemetery. Although we couldn’t load the full list due to a technical issue, such pages usually list burials alphabetically. J.C. and Dorothy Wilkins would be listed, likely with just names and dates. These cemetery listings can double-check grave locations and sometimes note if a headstone was present. (If a headstone photo is needed, one could request it on Find a Grave. There might already be a photo on Find a Grave for J.C. or Dorothy’s marker, as many memorials include those. The PeopleLegacy site we used is text-only, but the actual Find a Grave memorial might have an image of the tombstone.)

Oklahoma Vital Records and Archives: The state of Oklahoma has an index called OK2Explore, which is a free online index of births and deaths. A quick search there for Wilkins deaths in 2005 might confirm J.C.’s death certificate record (it would show his name, date of death, county of death). Similarly, Dorothy’s 2014 death could be found in that index. Obtaining actual certificates would require a fee and an application to the Oklahoma Department of Health, but the index is a useful verification tool. Additionally, the Oklahoma Historical Society operates the Research Center in Oklahoma City, which has newspapers on microfilm and could be another place to get the obituary if needed. For older generations, since J.C. was born in Texas, the Texas State vital records or Young County, TX records might hold his birth certificate from 1922, and Graham, TX might have been noted in local birth registers or newspaper announcements of that era.

Local History Books and Oral Histories: McCurtain County and Idabel have published history books (e.g. centennial history, cemetery books, etc.). A surname like Wilkins or Butler might appear in those indices. The fact that J.C. was a retired mechanic suggests he may have worked for a known local business or perhaps even the county (sometimes obits mention the workplace). If he or Dorothy were involved in a church (the obit’s mention of “ministry” bond implies possibly church ministry or volunteer work), church records or histories could mention them. Idabel is in the historical Choctaw Nation area; if Dorothy was of Choctaw heritage (the Butler family being from Lukfata, possibly Choctaw), the Choctaw Nation might have some member records or obits in their Biskinik newspaper. This is speculative, but a direction if ethnic heritage is of interest.

In conclusion, local sources would complement the data we found online, possibly providing copies of obits, grave photos, and personal anecdotes about the Wilkins family.

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Summary of Key Findings

J.C. Wilkins (often referred to simply as “J.C.”) was born May 23, 1922 in Graham, Texas. He married Dorothy Frances Butler of McCurtain County, Oklahoma, sometime around 1946–1947 (after WWII). J.C. and Dorothy made their home in Idabel, Oklahoma, and were married for 58 years until J.C.’s death. J.C. died on July 19, 2005 in Idabel at the age of 83. He was laid to rest at Joe Slater Memorial Cemetery, Wright City, OK. His wife, Dorothy (Butler) Wilkins, lived until 2014 (passing at age 91), and is buried beside him.

Together, they had five children that we have identified:

• Wayne Wilkins – Son, survived J.C. and was living in Erie, Kansas in 2005 (married to Dee Wilkins). Likely the eldest or one of the elder children, possibly born in late 1940s.
• Jerry Wilkins – Son, predeceased J.C. (died before 2005). We have no dates for Jerry from these sources, but his mention indicates he once existed in the family. Further research would be needed to find Jerry’s birth/death (possibly buried in the same region or in Texas if he died young).
• Judy Wilkins – Daughter, survived into at least the 2010s. Mentioned by family (and presumably in obituaries). Current details like married name or residence were not found in the public sources, likely because she is still living and such info is not in death records.
• Shelia (or Sheila) Wilkins – Daughter, also living as of the 2010s. Similarly mentioned by family/obit. (The spelling “Shelia” is given by the family; sometimes this is spelled “Sheila” – the exact spelling would be confirmed by seeing the obituary text.) No public record found because she is living.
• Kathy Estelle Wilkins (Large) – Youngest daughter, born June 28, 1954 in Marshall, Texas, married Grady Large in Idabel in 1972, and died March 27, 2019 (at age 64) in Paris, Texas. Her obituary and findagrave memorial confirm her parentage and that she was one of J.C. and Dorothy’s children. She is buried in the same area (likely Joe Slater Memorial Cemetery as well).

Occupations and Community: J.C. Wilkins was noted as a “retired mechanic”, which suggests he worked in that trade locally (possibly for a garage, the county, or a timber company, as Idabel is a timber area). Dorothy Butler Wilkins, according to her obituary, worked during WWII (at an Air Force base) and later likely was a homemaker and community servant. She lived a very long life and her obituary indicates she was devout (the “heaven welcomed an Angel” line) and possibly involved in church ministry alongside J.C. The couple’s long life spanned significant periods of Idabel’s history, and they would have seen their children marry and have families of their own.

All the above information was gathered from publicly accessible sources: Find a Grave memorials, funeral home and Legacy.com obituary postings, the FamilySearch Family Tree, and compiled cemetery indexes. These sources provide a framework for J.C. Wilkins’s genealogy. For further research, one might obtain official documents (death certificates, marriage licenses, census records) or contact local societies as noted, but the findings here already piece together a rich picture of the Wilkins family of Idabel, Oklahoma.

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Sources

• [1] (https://sv.findagrave.com/memorial/154959058/j_c_wilkins) – Find a Grave Memorial for J. C. Wilkins (1922–2005) – includes birth/death dates and burial, plus linked family
• [2] (https://sv.findagrave.com/memorial/154959059/dorothy-butler-wilkins) – Find a Grave Memorial for Dorothy Butler Wilkins (1922–2014) – confirms her maiden name, dates, burial, and marriage
• [3] (https://sv.findagrave.com/memorial/197935218/kathy_estelle_large) – Find a Grave Memorial for Kathy Estelle (Wilkins) Large (1954–2019) – provides Kathy’s birth/death and parents’ names
• [4] (https://www.whitefamilyfh.com/obituary/Kathy-Large) – Obituary for Kathy E Large | White Family Funeral Home
• [5] (https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/G4GS-GZF/dorothy-frances-butler-1922-2014) – Dorothy Frances Butler (1922–2014) - Ancestors Family Search
• [6] (https://peoplelegacy.com/j_c_wilkins-2q67791) – J C Wilkins (1922–2005): Grave Location in Wright City, OK | PeopleLegacy
• [7] (https://peoplelegacy.com/dorothy_butler_wilkins-5m1C3Z) – Dorothy Butler Wilkins (1922–2014): Grave Location in Wright City, OK | PeopleLegacy
• [8] (https://peoplelegacy.com/collie_r_butler-3R405k) – Collie R Butler (1880–1950): Grave Location in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma | PeopleLegacy
• [9] (https://sites.rootsweb.com/~okmcgs/index.html) – McCurtain County Genealogical Society - RootsWeb
• [10] (https://ok2explore.health.ok.gov/) – OK2Explore
• [11] (https://www.deathindexes.com/oklahoma/) – Online Oklahoma Death Indexes, Records & Obituaries
• [12] (https://www.okcemeteries.net/mccurtain/slater/slater.htm) – Joe Slater Memorial Cemetery Wright City, McCurtain County
• [13] (https://ohcegenealogy.com/13-ALL%20CEMETERIES%20BY%20COUNTY-04.15.2015.pdf) – OKLAHOMA CEMETERIES By COUNTY (PDF)
• [14] (https://www.newspapers.com/paper/mccurtain-gazette/20536/?locale=en-US) – McCurtain Gazette Archive - Newspapers.com™