Winifred Culp Hathcock, age 96, passed away peacefully at her home in East Prairie, Missouri, Saturday, March 9, 2024.

The daughter of Handy Carel Culp and Laura Vivian Upton Culp, she was born September 12, 1927, in East Prairie.  Mrs. Winifred is survived by her daughter, Carol Lee Hathcock Morris of East Prairie.  Also surviving are her two grandchildren, Mark Morris of East Prairie and Laura Morris Bixler (John) of Matthews; three great grandchildren, Brooks Morris Wayland (Jered) of Cape Girardeau; Kyle Best (Jennifer) of Kelso; John Hayes Bixler (Emma) of Wahiawa, HI; three great great grandchildren, Judah and Asher Wayland of Cape Girardeau and Kyson Best of Kelso; along with a number of nieces, nephews and cousins.

On December 26, 1946, she married John Hayes Hathcock of Mumford, TN. He preceded her in death on October 26, 1973. Also preceding her in death were her parents and her brother, Charles Thomas Culp.

Mrs. Winifred graduated from East Prairie High School in 1945 and began her teaching career in one room schools in rural Mississippi County, MO at the Mounds School and the Dorena School before moving to the East Prairie R-2 School district where she taught the remainder of her career. Retiring in 1982. During those early years, she attended summer school at Southeast Missouri State University earning her B.S. in education in 1959. After retirement, she continued to substitute teach at East Prairie for an additional 15 years until 1997. Teaching was her passion and she pursued excellence and promoted learning and the importance of education to all who studied under her guidance.  It is well known that she truly wanted her students to succeed and spend untold after school hours personally working with any student who needed additional support and carried that same dedication to her grandchildren and beyond.

Mrs. Winifred served the community in additional capacities as a long-life member of the First Church of God in East Prairie where she served as Sunday school teacher as well as president of the WCG. Additionally, she was a member of the Missouri State Teachers association and served her local community as a cub scout leader.

We will celebrate this wonderful life with a visitation beginning at 10:30 a.m. until the funeral hour at 11:30 a.m., Friday, March 15, 2024, at the First Church of God in East Prairie.  Her grandson in law, John Bixler and Dawn Walters, pastor, will officiate.

Interment will follow the Dogwood Cemetery under the direction of the McMikle Funeral Home of Charleston.

Pallbearers will be Mark Morris, Kyle Best, John Bixler, John Hayes Bixler, Joey Culp and Greg Meinert.

Online condolences may be shared at www.mcmiklefuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, plants and gift items, the family requests memorials be made to the First Church of God in East Prairie.