Barbara Wildcat

Barbara Irene Wildcat, 94, died peacefully, Friday, September 18, 2020 at the Baldwin Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Baldwin, KS.

She was born August 17, 1926 to William Merton Andrews and Hester Barbara (Baker) Dewitt Andrews in Coffeyville, Kansas. She graduated from Labette County High School, and took courses at Coffeyville Community College and Pittsburg State Teachers College where she received certification to teach grade K-8 in Kansas

On May 21,  1950 she married Nathaniel Wildcat in Valeda, KS. Following their marriage they made their home in Coffeyville, KS, then moved to Tulsa, OK for several years. They returned to Coffeyville in 1960 where they lived the rest of their married life. Upon the death of her husband, Nathaniel, Barbara moved to Lawrence, KS where her two sons lived.

Barbara held many jobs in her life. In one of her first paying jobs, she worked at the Parsons, KS ammunition factory during WWII.  Most notably she was hired to work on the Mullendore Ranch in Oklahoma as the nanny for the late E.C. Mullendore, III. In addition, she served as an elementary school teacher in rural Southeast Kansas schools and was proud to finish her teaching career as one of the last grades K-8 one-room school house teachers in Kansas, at the Old Parker School outside Coffeyville, KS. After teaching, she worked as a lab technician at Coffeyville Memorial Hospital for nearly a decade.

She was an active member of the First Baptist Church in Coffeyville.

Barbara was part of a large farm family. Her parents married after their first marriages each ended due to the death their spouses. Her blended family included: 1 half-brother and 1 half-sister, 4 half-sisters and six sisters. She is survived by her sons Daniel Wildcat and his wife Marianne (Bryant), Wayne Wildcat and his wife Tolly (Smith) all of Lawrence, KS, grandson Hakan Wildcat and two great grandchildren Luca Sanchez and Emma Olivia Wildcat; sisters, Bertha (Don) Dean of Parsons, KS, Berniece Phillips, also of Parsons, Bonnie (Bill) Hagan of St. Charles, MO and Bonita (Bob) Miller of Sedan, KS.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Nathaniel Wildcat, and half-bother Lester, half-sisters Neva, Grace, Nellie, Elsie and Dorothy; and sisters Billie Walker and Betty Van Winkle.

Private Funeral services will be held for family members at the First Baptist Church, Coffeyville, KS on Wednesday, September 23, at 1:00 p.m. and followed by a brief graveside-service at Robins Cemetery where her husband, Nathaniel, is interred. Friends of Barbara are asked to view her funeral service using the live streaming services offered by the First Baptist Church or the Ford-Wulf-Bruns Chapel via Facebook Live.  The family has requested memorial contributions be made payable to, LINK (Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen) at the First Christian Church (10th & KY), where Barb was a member; LINK, PO BOX 442472, Lawrence Ks. 66044 or to Kansas Advocates for Better Care, 536 Fireside Ct., Suite B, Lawrence, KS 66049.  To leave an online condolence for the family please visit www.fordwulfbrunschapel.com