Rebecca W
Rebecca Ann ‘Becky' Winstead
Sept. 15, 1950 — June 26, 2008
Longtime Tuolumne County resident Rebecca Ann "Becky" Winstead died June 26 at her home in Sonora after a long illness. She was 57.
Mrs. Winstead was born in Lancaster and spent her early childhood there, later moving to Marshall, Texas, then Baton Rouge, La., as a teenager and young adult. She traveled to California in 1971, and settled in the Columbia area where she made many lifelong friends, her family said.
She loved children and, in addition to raising her own son, helped raise her stepchildren, grandchildren and the children of her many close friends. She was a founding member of the Tuolumne Tarts young women's social club, and was an early practitioner of folkloric belly dance, as well as a costumer. She also was very artistic, her family said.
Her love of cooking and upbringing in Texas and Louisiana served her well as chief cook and provisioner for a successful river rafting venture in the 1970s.
She later became a licensed vocational nurse and helped care for many of the elderly and infirm in Tuolumne County, and helped many of their loved ones cope with their losses. She later worked in the county's psychiatric unit.
She met her husband, K.C., in 1972. During the last years of her life she, her husband and her family formed a close bond with a family in Mexico and, her family said, she took great pleasure in visiting them at their home.
In addition to her husband, Mrs. Winstead is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Sky Kaufman and Monique Watson, of Columbia; a stepdaughter and her husband, Jessie and John Uribe, of Sonora; a stepson and his wife, John and Lizzie Winstead, of Sonora; Suzy Carny, of Sonora, and Shasta Hensolt, of Columbia, both of whom were like children to her; her grandchildren, Sophia Kaufman, Vincent Uribe, Taya Sophia Winstead, Mark Mills and Marty Mills, all of Sonora; her brother, Randy Kaufman, and his wife, Lenise, of Lancaster; niece and nephews, Nicholas Kaufman, Kaleb Kaufman, Kyle Colosimo and Sarina Michelle Colosimo, all of Lancaster; her father, Jack Hughes Kaufman, of Lancaster; an aunt, Margie Hendry of Marshall, Texas; and close friends Maureen McNertney, of Hayward, Peggy Richmond, of Lake o' the Pines, Texas, Deldee Kittrell, of Arnold, and Carlos and Lupe Andrade and their eight daughters and many grandchildren, Leon, Mexico, La Rue Jones, of Tuolumne, Dee Bird, of Oregon, and Margie Hiser, of Sonora.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Gloria Ann Barnard; her uncle William "Sonny" Hendry and dear friend Kathy England (see obituary, this page).
Private services are planned.
Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home handled arrangements.
Rebecca W
Rebecca Ann ‘Becky' Winstead
Sept. 15, 1950 — June 26, 2008
Longtime Tuolumne County resident Rebecca Ann "Becky" Winstead died June 26 at her home in Sonora after a long illness. She was 57.
Mrs. Winstead was born in Lancaster and spent her early childhood there, later moving to Marshall, Texas, then Baton Rouge, La., as a teenager and young adult. She traveled to California in 1971, and settled in the Columbia area where she made many lifelong friends, her family said.
She loved children and, in addition to raising her own son, helped raise her stepchildren, grandchildren and the children of her many close friends. She was a founding member of the Tuolumne Tarts young women's social club, and was an early practitioner of folkloric belly dance, as well as a costumer. She also was very artistic, her family said.
Her love of cooking and upbringing in Texas and Louisiana served her well as chief cook and provisioner for a successful river rafting venture in the 1970s.
She later became a licensed vocational nurse and helped care for many of the elderly and infirm in Tuolumne County, and helped many of their loved ones cope with their losses. She later worked in the county's psychiatric unit.
She met her husband, K.C., in 1972. During the last years of her life she, her husband and her family formed a close bond with a family in Mexico and, her family said, she took great pleasure in visiting them at their home.
In addition to her husband, Mrs. Winstead is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Sky Kaufman and Monique Watson, of Columbia; a stepdaughter and her husband, Jessie and John Uribe, of Sonora; a stepson and his wife, John and Lizzie Winstead, of Sonora; Suzy Carny, of Sonora, and Shasta Hensolt, of Columbia, both of whom were like children to her; her grandchildren, Sophia Kaufman, Vincent Uribe, Taya Sophia Winstead, Mark Mills and Marty Mills, all of Sonora; her brother, Randy Kaufman, and his wife, Lenise, of Lancaster; niece and nephews, Nicholas Kaufman, Kaleb Kaufman, Kyle Colosimo and Sarina Michelle Colosimo, all of Lancaster; her father, Jack Hughes Kaufman, of Lancaster; an aunt, Margie Hendry of Marshall, Texas; and close friends Maureen McNertney, of Hayward, Peggy Richmond, of Lake o' the Pines, Texas, Deldee Kittrell, of Arnold, and Carlos and Lupe Andrade and their eight daughters and many grandchildren, Leon, Mexico, La Rue Jones, of Tuolumne, Dee Bird, of Oregon, and Margie Hiser, of Sonora.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Gloria Ann Barnard; her uncle William "Sonny" Hendry and dear friend Kathy England (see obituary, this page).
Private services are planned.
Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home handled arrangements.