Winifred Jo "Winnie" (McCray) Ferro, age 92, passed peacefully on Monday, October 4, 2021, in her home in Clinton, Missouri. No services are planned at this time. In lieu of flowers and cards, the family would appreciate donations to be made to GVMH Hospice Services or the Clinton animal shelter (C.A.R.E.).

Winnie was born to Fred Leland McCray and Jewell Jane (Pontious) McCray on August 17, 1929, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was the proud older sister of her baby brother, Jerry. Her parents divorced in her youth, and she had the blessing of spending many summers with her grandparents- creating wonderful and unforgettable memories. Her grandparents played a major role in her life and started her on her walk through this life with Christ. Her mother later remarried, Shirley Pearce, adding two bonus siblings to her family- Patricia and Charles.

Winnie loved school. She enjoyed learning but was never good at art. Sadly, she was not very musical despite her mother's family being filled with talented musicians. Winnie always enjoyed her large family's music jams, but she was never able to carry a tune! Her favorite subject in the whole wide world was mathematics. Even though she loved school, she was smart enough to test out of a few grades! At the age of 16, Winnie graduated as a member of the Webster High School class of 1946.

After graduating high school, Winnie accepted a secretarial job at the Spartan School of Aeronautics. While working, she met a young Air Force veteran named Lawrence "Larry" Ferro from a little town called Deepwater, Missouri. Winnie finally agreed to go out with him since the poor guy was remarkably persistent in his requests for a date. Winnie McCray traded her last name for Ferro. Larry and Winnie flew to Hill City, Kansas, and were married on November 9, 1947. Larry passed in 2010 after over 62 years of marriage.

During their life together, Winnie and Larry had three wonderful children- Michael, Jane, and Woo. They settled in Clinton, Missouri, where Larry owned a crop-dusting business, and Winnie took care of the books and had many other jobs. She was a well-established cashier while working at the United Plaza Supermarket. She was also the secretary at Clinton Cable Vision for many years. And finally, Winnie owned and operated a business with her wonderful, amazing, fantastic daughter Woo 😉. The business began as WW Bed, Bath, & Linens and later became WW Hallmark. She enjoyed all aspects of the shop- from going to market to vacuuming the carpet. She loved helping customers and meeting many fabulous people while operating the cash register and sitting in her Command Module for over 40 years.

Winnie had a full life. She filled it with adventures and did what she wanted to do. She loved her family and loved to work. From vacationing with her family in Mexico to working on bookwork for the business, she enjoyed life. She was blessed with having most of her family living in the same community through her lifetime and was able to enjoy family dinners hosted by others (because she never wanted to cook!). She retired from WW Hallmark and spent time reading and relaxing in her later years while living with her daughter, Woo, her sweet and lovely granddaughter, Shelby, and her favorite son-in-law, John. She had a good life and is having an even better time being able to see the ones who have passed before her.

Winnie was preceded in death by her husband, Larry Ferro. She is survived by all three of her children: Michael Ferro and his wife Marilynn, Jane Marshall and her husband Bill, and Woo French and her husband John. She is survived by five grandchildren: Mary Elizabeth Chapa, Michael Leslie (Sarah) Ferro, Will (Meg) Marshall, John Marshall, and Shelby French. Winnie also had the blessing to meet three of her great-grandchildren: Victor Chapa, Michael Chapa, and Penn Marshall. She also met one of the newest members of the family, Daisy French, a four-legged cutie, shortly before she passed.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Vansant-Mills Funeral Home in Clinton, Missouri.