Jackson businesswoman's artwork to benefit library she frequented

Instead of a memorial service for the late Gwen Winningham, Jackson businesswoman and civic donor, a benefit auction of pastels and paintings will be held at 7 p.m. Monday at the Riverside Regional Library.

Judy Hoffman, a friend, neighbor, and the overseer of Winningham's affairs, said, "Gwen was grateful to the staff at Riverside Regional Library, who helped her with research for books she'd written."

Winningham was born July 27, 1909, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Claude J. and Olga Friedrich Winningham. Although she requested no public notice of her death, Hoffman told her that the community would later learn of her death and her accomplishments in life.

Winningham's college years were spent in Cape Girardeau and Illinois, with graduate work in physical education and recreation in Battle Creek, Mich.

Her musical talents entertained World War II soldiers, and her sensitivity to their sacrifices was evident in her career and later accomplishments. Commissioned as an American Red Cross captain, she was employed as the recreation director at a base in Texas. Her evenings were spent attending law school, and she graduated from Texas School of Law in 1942. Sent to London to head the Red Cross recreational division, Winningham spent a lot of time giving legal advice to U.S. soldiers during WWII. She married a U.S. Army doctor. The time she spent with soldiers and airmen had a great impact on her life, affecting later civic endeavors.

Following the war she operated Cape Girardeau recreational programs and later bought the Jackson Hotel uptown and the Parkview Drive-In theatre, where Jackson City Park currently lies.

A life member of the Veterans Auxiliary, Winningham also spearheaded the Brookside Park Memorial to veterans of all wars and servicemen. She sold and donated 40 acres of her property for the memorial and intended to honor veterans.

Hoffman invites individuals of the community to send their stories, thoughts and memories of Winningham via e-mail to wibs5@charter.net, or by mail to Wib's Drive In, 1204 N. High St., Jackson, Mo. 63755. Compiling the correspondence may come later.