Winifred Everhart Cotton

Winifred (Everhart) Cotton was born on December 14, 1938, to the late Robert Celeste Everhart and Leota Christine Nichols.  She was brought to Champaign when she was 10 months old by her father, Robert Celeste Everhart along with his parents, Harvey and Zella Everhart, who raised her. 

Winifred attended Champaign Schools.  She joined Salem Baptist Church in Champaign and sang in the Youth Choir. 

On September 28, 1956, she married the late Smith Cotton, Jr. in Danville, IL.  After relocating to Danville, she joined Greater Shiloh Baptist Church.

Winifred drove for 5 1/2 years for the Head Start Program, worked with Special Needs Children, was active in the PTA Program at the old Washington School in Danville, and drove buses for Bee Line School Transportation Services.  She was also the past President of the Union School Bus Systems. 

Her hobbies were fishing, riding motorcycles, listening to church music, and enjoying time with her grandchildren and her dogs.

In life, Winifred was active in a lot of organizations:  she was the Untouchables Motorcycle Club First Female Motorcycle Rider; Untouchables Motorcycle Club Member;  Imperial Deputy of the Oasis - Member of the Sudan Court #19;  Illustrious Recorder; Past Worthy Matron, Deborah Council #3 O.E.S.; Past District Deputy Grand Matron, Fourth District O.E.S.; Past Commander - Sudan Court #19; Past Most Ancient Matron - James Gayles Court #86 Heroines of Jericho; and, Past Worthy Matron - Golden Rod Chapter #55 O.E.S.

Winifred leaves to cherish her memory her children, Zella Cotton-Wright (Rantoul, IL), William Cotton, Carolyn Cotton, and Sandy (Earnest) Elam (all of Champaign, IL); brother, William Brown, Jr. (Carbondale, IL); sisters, Marjorie Brown (Ashville, NC) and Wileta Brown-Martin (Carbondale, IL); a special mother-in-law, Mrs. Alberta Cotton; three sisters-in-law, Melissa Cotton, Marsha Cotton, and Denise Ann Cotton; a special sister-in-law that she raised, Teresa Romaine; grandchildren, Eddie Wright, Earnest W. Elam III, Phillip (Brook) Elam, Latasha Wright, Tanisha Cotton, Latisha Cotton, and Emily Cotton; 14 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great-grandchildren; a special niece, Ruthann Grone; her special friends, Delores William, Minnie Johnson, David and Carolyn Johnson and Dolly Sanders; and, a host of nieces, nephews, friends, and other relatives.

A Homegoing Celebration will commence at 12:00 Noon Wednesday December 28, 2022 at St. Synagogue C.O.G.I.C., 2605 E. Main St., Danville. Eulogist: Elder Tommie Reed. Visitation begin at 11:00 a.m. until the time of the service. Burial will be at 10 a.m. Thursday December 29, 2022 at Woodlawn Cemetery, Urbana.

Public Viewing  will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, December 27, 2022 with Eastern Star rites at 3:30 p.m., at Leek & Sons Funeral Home, 1215 W. Bradley Ave., Urbana.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Winifred Everhart Cotton, please visit our floral store.